Anakin and the Darkness Within
by SsgtC
Summary: Anakin doesn't fall, but is that enough to save the Galaxy?
1. Chapter 1: A Shift in the Force

Disclaimer:I do not own Star Wars or the characters contained within. All rights to Star Wars and the Star Wars Universe are owned by Lucasarts.

Padme had been worried about Anakin ever since he returned from the Outer Rim. Ever since she had told them that they were about to become parents. Anakin's dreams, the dreams he had had about his mother, had returned. Only this time, they were about her. She had spent the entire night begging Anakin to talk to Obi-Wan about them. Or to Yoda. But Anakin, stubborn like he always was, was determined to handle this on his own. To prevent this dream from coming true. Now that she thought about it, saying she was worried about her husband might have been an understatement.

Padme wasn't the only one worried about Anakin. Obi-wan could tell that something was bothering his old Padawan and friend. But of course Anakin refused to talk about it. While, ok, that wasn't that unusual for him, the sheer terror he felt radiating off of him was. Something was certainly very wrong. Obi-wan knew of only one person who might actually be able to reach Anakin when he got like this. He reached for his communicator and made a call.

Anakin knew that Padme and Obi-Wan were worried about him. He felt terrible for that. But how could explain to them? Padme, for as much as she tried, wasn't a Jedi and didn't really understand the Force. Didn't really understand why he was so scared of the vision he had. She was _there_ when he had the visions of his mother. And she was there when he found her. Didn't she _remember_ how frighteningly accurate his vision had been? And to just brush it off the way she was? He felt his anger building and clamped down on it. Now was not the time.

His thoughts then drifted to Obi-Wan. Padme wanted him to talk to his old Master about his dream. But Obi-wan could never understand. How could he? Master Kenobi was the perfect Jedi. He would have no choice but to report Anakin to the rest of the Council for breaking the Jedi Code and forming an attachment to Padme and marrying her. He would be thrown out of the Jedi Order, exiled. And while, ok, he had planned to leave the Order anyway after the war, there was no way he could abandon his fellow Jedi and the Republic in their time of need. Besides, the Jedi had been ravaged by the war. So few Jedi were left that the Temple was almost entirely empty except for the Younglings and the Temple Masters.

Actually, now that he thought about it, the Order was in desperate need of Jedi Knights. Maybe he _could_ talk to Obi-wan about it. Tell him about the dream, tell him everything. The Council would be furious when they found out. But maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't kick him out until after the war. Or possibly he could even promise to leave the Order once the war was over. Yeah, that might work. He'd have to talk to Padme about it first though. Diplomacy wasn't exactly his strong suite. He left the negotiating to her or Obi-wan. He tried to stay in the background until they moved on to aggressive negotiations. That thought made him grin, remembering the look on Padme's face when he first explained the term to her on Naboo. Having made up his mind, Anakin turned to leave the Temple. And ran straight into Master Yoda.

Padme was just about to leave for the Senate when her comm station went off. Her _private_ comm station. Only a few people had that number. And if someone was trying to reach her on it, it must be important. Closing the door again, she went to the station and, seeing a Jedi Temple prefix, answered, half expecting it to be Anakin. Instead, it was Obi-wan. Ever the senator, she did not let the surprise she felt show on her face or in her voice, though she was pretty sure Obi-wan could feel it (come to think of it, _could_ Jedi feel emotions like that through a comm call? She'd have to ask Anakin later). "Master Kenobi. What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?"

"Senator," replied Kenobi. "I could use your help with a, personal, matter. It's in regard to Anakin. I know you two are close and I was hoping for your help."

He _knows_ , was the first thing to cross Padme's mind. Why else would he be calling? She honestly thought more of Obi-wan than this. Certainly his reputation as The Negotiator led her to believe that he wouldn't make such an amateurish mistake. All of this flashed across her mind in just the first second or so after Obi-wan's request. "Of course, Master Jedi. I'm always willing to aide the Order however I can. What is it you would like?"

"Actually Senator, this is rather sensitive. I'd rather discuss this with you in private if possible."

That confirmed it, Padme thought. The gizka was certainly out of the bag now. "I understand completely. Would this evening work for you? I'll be at my apartment around 8 or so."

"8 would be fine Senator. I'll see you tonight."

Wonderful, thought Padme as she disconnected the call. Just wonderful. As if she didn't have enough to worry about.

"Young Skywalker. In a hurry, are you?" asked the aged Jedi Master.

Anakin bristled at being called Young Skywalker, but then again, even a being 500 years old would be "young" to Master Yoda. "Apologies, Master. I've had much on my mind of late."

"Know this, I do. Taking a life, never easy it is."

Oh! _That's_ what he thinks this is about? His killing of Count Dooku? A bit of his guilt at the way he killed him must have seeped into the Force because Yoda was giving him a look he normally reserved only for unruly Younglings that he had caught red-handed in one bit of mischief or another. Anakin knew better than to try to get anything over on the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. "That is partly it, Master. I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that. But I'm sure you're quite busy."

"Hmmmm, busy I am. But not so busy to neglect a Jedi in need. Walk with me, you will Young Skywalker. Talk, we will."

That name again! Ugh. He really should just get used to it. He doubted Yoda would ever call him anything else. "Yes, Master."

As they walked through the Room of a Thousand Fountains, or rather, Anakin walked while Master Yoda rode his hoverchair, Anakin found that the calming waters of the fountains helped to soothe his mind. Not enough to reach true peace, Anakin hadn't known true peace, other than when he was in Padme's arms, since Geonosis. Though he suspected Yoda knew that and this seemingly aimless stroll was done purposefully to let Anakin calm his mind and order his thoughts. For that he was grateful. Since, during this walk through the room, the largest in the Temple, he had made a decision to tell Yoda everything. Even if it meant getting banished from the Order. "Master, would it be possible for us to talk privately? What I have to say, it would be best not to say in public."

"Come, Jedi Skywalker, talk in my Meditation room, we shall."

Across Coruscant, Darth Sidious felt a wave of ice wash over him. As if the whole planet's temperature had suddenly dropped to that of Hoth. There was only one thing this could mean. His carefully laid plans, plans he had spent decades honing, building and cajoling into reality, were about to be completely upended. His only hope was to try and delve into the Force tonight and root out the cause of this shift. Fortunately, the Jedi were as blind to that as they were to everything else. The mist he and his master had cast over the Jedi years previously still seemed to be very effective. Soon, he was quite sure, the Jedi would be nothing but a footnote in history.

Anakin had spent the last two hours talking to Master Yoda, telling him everything. Leaving nothing out. Not his killing of the Sand People on Tatooine all those years ago, not his secret marriage to Padme, not how he had executed Count Dooku when he had been defeated and kneeling before him. He told him all of it. And as he did so, a sense of calm that he hadn't felt since he was a boy settled on him. A feeling that he was doing exactly what the Force wished him to. Master Yoda sat, and listened. At the end, when Anakin explained how he had had a vision of Padme dying in childbirth, Anakin broke.

With tears in his eyes, he begged the Jedi Master for help. Telling him he couldn't lose her, that she meant everything to him. Pleading for some way to change what he saw in his vision.

At the end, Yoda reached out, put his hand on Anakin's shoulder and squeezed. "Young Skywalker, a great deal to discuss you and I have. Done things, you have, that you should not. Time for that later, we will have. For now, your vision we will see to. Remember, do you, your first lessons, when you arrived at the Temple?"

Anakin, through the tears in his eyes, looked at Master Yoda with something akin to shock. Hadn't he heard him? He had murdered men, women and children for revenge. In anger. He had killed a helpless man. And the thing Master Yoda wanted to focus on was something that might not even happen? That thought brought Anakin up short. _Whoa_ , wait a second. Had he really been being so selfish that he was no longer putting his duty as a Jedi first? Was this truly the first time he had done so in _years_? What kind of a Jedi was he? The bad kind, his conscience told him. Realizing Master Yoda was looking at him, he shook himself out of his thoughts. "Master, I've just realized that for the last few years, I have been an absolutely terrible Jedi. Not just my actions, but by putting my needs and wants first and failing in my duty as a Jedi."

Reaching for his lightsaber to give it to Master Yoda and resign from the Order, Master Yoda stopped him. "Remove your lightsaber, do not. A decision for another day this is. Your vision. Remember, do you, your early teachings?"

"Yes Master. The future is always in motion. That what we see is just one possible future of many and may not come true. But, Master Yoda, my visions of my mother _did_ come true. What if these do the same?"

"Hmmmm, why this is, attachment is forbidden. An easy answer for you, I do not have. To let go of those you love, you must learn. Easy, this will not be. All life ends, Young Skywalker. The way of the Force, this is. Many years will it take you to learn this, I feel."

"But Master, I don't have years. Our child is due in two months. I _can't_ lose her. OUCH!" Cried Anakin as Yoda's gimmer stick cracked across his shins.

"Much to learn, you still have my young Jedi. For 800 years, have I been Jedi. Much I have seen. Much I have learned. To attempt to change your vision, ensure its outcome you may."

Closing his eyes, Yoda reached out with the Force and brushed against Anakin. Opening his eyes again, Yoda told the young Jedi, "Much fear I sense in you Anakin. Fear for yourself, no. But fear for those around you, you do. Aide them in this state, you cannot. Share with me, your vision."

Collecting himself, at least as much as he could right then, Anakin sank into a meditation exercise (never his strong suite, he never could sit still) and reached out with the Force feeling for Master Yoda. He really wasn't that difficult to find, his force presence shined like a beacon of light. Anakin was pretty sure his looked like a thunderstorm at the moment. Yoda joined with him and Anakin began to share his vision


	2. Chapter 2: Things Revealed

At 500 Republica, Obi-wan and Padme were having the conversation she'd been dreading all day. Not that anyone could tell. She was, after all, a consummate politician, showing and expressing only what she wanted the other person to see and hear. In that regard, she and the Jedi had more in common than the average Jedi would care to admit. For his part, Obi-wan got straight to the point.

"Senator, I need your help. Something is wrong with Anakin. He won't tell me what it is, but the way he feels in the Force, he's terrified of something. He's looked up to you since he was a boy and I know that you two are close. Is there anyway you could possibly talk to him? Perhaps get him to open up?"

For the second time that day, Obi-wan shocked Padme. She had been so _certain_ that he was coming here tonight to confront her about her and Anakin's marriage and her pregnancy. And in a way, he was. It's just that he didn't _know_ that he was.This gave her another problem. Lying to Obi-wan would be nearly impossible. While she could keep it off her face and out of her voice, the Force gave the Jedi a nearly unbeatable edge when it came to uncovering deception. All of this ran through her thoughts while listening to Obi-wan. "Of course Master Kenobi. I'd be delighted to help," replied Padme. "You know I consider you and Anakin two of my closest friends. Whatever I can do, you have my word. But, you know Anakin. Once he's made his mind up about something, it's practically impossible to get him to change it."

"Oh, yes. I'm quite familiar with my Padawan's stubborn streak. I also know that, out of everyone on this planet, you seem to have the ability to get through to him when no one else can."

Oh, if only he knew, thought Padme. Normally, yes, she could get Anakin to see reason. But _this_? Not so much. Unfortunately for her, a bit _too_ much of her nervousness and fear for her husband was seeping into the Force and Obi-wan started to pick up on it.

 _"What could possibly be making her nervous and frightened?"_ he thought. Certainly he wasn't asking her to do something unethical or immoral. He thought she would leap at the chance to spend time with Anakin. Their feelings for one another weren't exactly a secret. Oh, he supposed _they_ thought they were.But the two of them really weren't nearly as discrete as they thought they were. Of course Obi-wan, like most everyone else, had assumed that they would be professional enough about it to not act on those feelings. That triggered another line of thought for Obi-wan. What if they _hadn't_ kept their distance? Could _that_ be why Padme seemed so nervous? Was she worried that she and Anakin had been exposed?

With that, disturbing, thought, Obi-wan reached out with the Force to gently probe Padme's Force Aura. With a shock, he found not only Padme's Force Signature, but the signatures of two other beings connected to hers! Padme was pregnant! A second shock came a moment later when he realized that the two tiny Force Signatures growing inside her were vaguely familiar. They actually felt a bit like Anakin. Obi-wan felt his heart drop. He loved Anakin like a brother. But _this_? To say that Anakin would have some explaining to do was putting it mildly. There was no doubt in his mind that the Council would be forced to expel him, Chosen One or not. The truth suddenly rushed at him in a flood, as if a dam had burst and the Force had come flooding in to confirm what he thought. "Padme," he asked her gently, "you know why Anakin is troubled, don't you? I can feel it in your Force Signature. Anakin is the father, isn't he?"

For a split second, the politician's mask that Padme wore like armor, slipped. Her face registered her surprise, giving Obi-wan all the confirmation he needed that he was right. He placed his hand on Padme's and squeezed.

"Padme, I want you to know, Anakin is like my brother. The last thing I want is to cause him or you pain. You've both already had so much pain in your lives. But I truly am worried about him. He is slipping down a path that could lead to his destruction. I need your help." Before Padme could answer, the door to her apartment burst open.

Anakin had never been so deep into the Force before. Master Yoda seemed to be guiding him down long forgotten pathways. In that moment, Anakin realized just how little he knew and how, for all his power and potential, how much he paled in comparison to a true Jedi Master such as Yoda. Yoda was guiding him down into the Force, deeper than he even knew was possible, to help him get to the root of his vision. Part of the reason for it was simple fear. Anakin was _terrified_ of losing his wife and child. That reason, conveniently, was sitting literally at the top of his subconscious. A little _too_ conveniently according to Master Yoda (at least that was the impression Anakin had gotten from the Grandmaster, communicating in this state was somewhat difficult, though the mental whack across the shins from Yoda's gimmer stick that he had just gotten for getting distracted seemed to come through just fine). Concentrating once more, he and Master Yoda followed the paths that the Force was leading them down. As they went, Anakin seemed to feel the air getting closer, darker, colder. Continuing on, he seemed to sense a dark, glowing ball of black, as crazy as that sounds. With a start, he realized that part of that black ball of energy had entangled itself with his own presence! Could he really have been that close to the Dark Side without even noticing it? That shouldn't be possible. He would have felt it. Wouldn't he? He felt Master Yoda urging him on and followed the diminutive Jedi Master down.

For Yoda, it felt like a curtain had been pulled back, or a long locked door finally opened. For the first time in years he felt the Force the way it should be felt. Like a mist had been pulled away from his eyes and he rejoiced in it. For all the darkness he felt inYoung Skywalker's vision and tangled up within him, the young Jedi was still a beacon of light unlike any he had ever known, and the young man's presence was seeming to light the way. For Yoda, it was very much like seeing an old friend again as he traveled down into the Force, deeper than he had been able to in years. That was when he saw it. A dark tendril wrapped around Anakin, seeping into the boy's soul, poisoning his spirit. And leading directly to the vision of his wife dying, feeding it, enhancing it.

For Yoda, the admission from Young Skywalker that he had broken the code and gotten married really wasn't all that surprising. Oh, he acted like it was of course. But the old Jedi had long suspected that Anakin and the Senator from Naboo were far closer than anyone suspected. In other circumstances, he would have called Young Skywalker before the Council to explain himself. But now, with so few Jedi left, less than 10,000 when the Order had once numbered in the millions, they could not afford to lose one such as Anakin. So long as the young man had put his duty as a Jedi first, Yoda had made very sure he avoided actually _knowing_ whether or not what he suspected was true. That was all moot now of course following Skywalker's admission. He thought this as he and Anakin followed the tendril down to it's source. Deeper and deeper into the Force. Yoda himself had only ever been this deep into the Force on a handful of occasions. And only when absolutely necessary, as going this deep, it was far too easy to lose yourself in the Force and never find your way back.

As the two Jedi approached the source of the darkness, Yoda began to feel as if there was something familiar about it. Pushing against it with the Force, he was met with a violent reaction, almost physically throwing him back. Just before being thrown back to consciousness, Yoda saw a leering face peering at them. One that had been horribly disfigured and scarred, but one that he knew all too well. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.

Hidden deep within The Works section of Coruscant was the secret lair of Darth Sidious. Here was his meditation room. Here was where he kept his most precious Sith artifacts, some dating back thousands of years to when the Sith had ruled an empire. It was here that Darth Sidious was free to cast aside his public persona of Sheev Palpatine and let his true self show. It was here that Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, reigned supreme. After the disturbing warning he had gotten earlier that day, Sidious too had dived deep into the Force. What could have possibly triggered such a warning? Had he been betrayed? Had Tyranus planned something to expose him should _he_ be betrayed? He felt his anger boiling up to the surface. He let it. It would prove useful in rooting out the source of his problem. Burying himself deep within the Force, he began to probe outward. Searching for who or what it was that was threatening to expose him and destroy all he had worked for. Suddenly, he found that his problem had come to him. Approaching through the Force were Master Yoda and Anakin Skywalker. Through the Force he registered the shock he felt from both of them as they recognized his Force Signature. With as much power as he could summon, he threw both Jedi back and felt the connection with them break. Pulling himself out of the Force as well, he understood with sudden clarity what had happened. That foolish boy had opened himself up fully to the Jedi and the light. Hiding nothing from them, he had lost his leverage over the child. _Years_ of effort, carefully grooming the boy, building stress points in his psyche, applying just the right pressure to them, ensuring the boy would break exactly how and when he wanted him to, _wasted_.

With a snarl that was more beast than man, he began pacing in his chambers, trying to plan what he could do. The problem was, he had always had the Force to assist him with his plans before. But that meddling boy and the little troll had managed to tear away the veil the Sith had placed over the Jedi. For him to delve deeply into the Force now would be akin to lighting a signal fire leading straight to him. He was loathe to just discard Skywalker. He had seen what the boy could become. He could be the most powerful Sith to have ever lived. Unfortunately, it didn't seem as though he had much choice in the matter. He went to his holonet terminal and called up various reports that he had access to as Chancellor. Hmmmm, slightly worse than he had hoped. A fairly large percentage of Jedi, including most of the Jedi Council, were on world at the moment. Of course, that also meant there were more Clone Troopers as well. He would need more though to pull off what he was thinking. Unless of course, he came out into the open. Show the Galaxy what true power was. Crush the Jedi personally.

He sighed, resigning himself to throwing away Skywalker. Knowing that the boy would never trust him now, would never betray the Jedi. He would have to act quickly, before the Jedi could fully realize what had happened and react. Sidious began sending messages to various Clone Commanders and then placed a holocall. "Commander Cody. The time has come. Execute Order 66."


	3. Chapter 3: Opening Moves

With a gasp, Anakin fell to the floor, hurled almost bodily from the depths of the Force by that dark presence. Looking over to Yoda, he saw the Jedi Master was shaken, but still on his meditation couch. "Master," he asked shakily, "what was that?"

"Hmmmm, the Sith Lord that was. Discovered him, we have. But too late, I fear. Recall his face, do you?"

Anakin, still shaken from the experience, nods. "Yes Master. It was horribly scared and disfigured. Almost as if it had been ravaged bysome powerful beast." Here he paused. He could barely choke out what he said next. "And it looked like the Chancellor."

"The Chancellor, it was. His true face did we see. Scared, not by beast, but by the Dark Side. Quick and easy the Dark Side is. But extract a terrible price, it does. Blind we have been not to have noticed. Failed I have as a Jedi. Now, all may be lost. Prepare we must. Not long will Sidious wait to begin his attack now that exposed he is."

"I agree Master. But, how? To try and destroy him is not the Jedi way. But, he may be too powerful to capture peacefully."

"Learned from your mistakes, you have Anakin. Proud of you, for that, I am. But destroy the Sith, we must. Too much power does he have to bring to a trial."

Thinking on that, Anakin had a, for him, rare moment of political insight. "Master Yoda, what you say has merit. Palpatine, or Sidious, has far too much power over the Senate. But if the Jedi move against him directly, he could use that against the Order. If we are unsuccessful, he will use our attempt to restore Democracy to discredit the Order and destroy us. But perhaps my wife could be useful. I hate even thinking of this, but she knows beings in the Senate who will stand up for what is right. If we get the Senate on our side, we may have a chance." Those last words seemed to rip Anakin's heart out to say them. The _last_ thing he wanted was to place Padme and his child in any sort of danger. But the simple fact was, just by being his wife, Sidious had probably already marked Padme for death.

Anakin had no illusions that Palpatine knew about his relationship. His vision and the dark tendril leading from it had proven that. The betrayal by the man that had always been his friend, had been a mentor to him, practically a father to him was tearing at his insides, threating to rip him apart. Two things kept him from giving into the anger he felt toward him. The first, and biggest reason, was Padme. Padme would _never_ agree to him becoming something so evil. He would lose her then just as surely as he had in his vision. The second, was that giving in to his anger and hate is exactly what that kriffing Sith _wanted_ him to do. Anakin may be rash. And arrogant. And stubborn. And a litany of other awful traits. But he _wasn't_ foolish enough to believe for one second that Sidious would help him in the slightest once he had what he wanted. Of that, he was absolutely certain. And at least if Padme were at the Temple, she would be safe.

Sitting across from him, Yoda watched all this play out on Anakin's face and felt it in the Force. Felt his determination rise and his spirit begin to heal. A strong Jedi he will be if past this crisis the Order survives, he thought. "A wise suggestion, Young Skywalker. Go. To the Temple, bring your wife. Explain to the Council I will what has happened. For yourself, be not afraid. A strong and wise Jedi you will be. Prepare the Temple for an attack we must. The Younglings we must save above all else. The future of the Order, they are. Look up to you, they do. Your mission that will be. Protect them, you must."

Anakin wanted to argue with him. Wanted to tell him that he would need him if he faced Sidious. Even started to form a reply to press his point. He was one of the finest duelists in the Order. His sheer power and ability were the equal of most of the Masters on the Council (he did admit, privately, that Mace, Yoda and likely Obi-wan could best him in a duel). Instead, upon seeing the look Yoda was giving him, Anakin simply nodded his head and replied, "Yes Master. Once I return, I'll see to the safety of the young ones. May the Force be with you Master Yoda."

"And with you, Jedi Skywalker."

Before Padme could even register what was happening, Obi-wan had leapt off the couch, his lightsaber flashing, deflecting bolt after bolt back at the Clone Troopers who had opened fire on them. But for every one knocked down by either a deflected bolt or Obi-wan's saber when they got too close, it seemed as if two more took his place. Obi-wan was shouting at her to move and find cover while trying to order the Clones to stand down. As Padme's shock wore off, she grabbed the blaster from her couch and began firing at the clones. Through the din of battle, she vaguely heard a transport touch down on her landing pad. " _This is it_ ," she thought. " _The end. I'm so sorry Anakin. I'm so sorry little ones. I tried_." Just as she turned to face what she thought were reinforcements, she saw Anakin, her love, almost literally fly through the room, lightsaber already lit, and join Obi-wan in repelling the Clones. Seeing the Team in action was truly awe inspiring for Padme. They moved almost as if they were one being. Sabers flashing, stabbing and slicing, moving through the Clones with a practiced ease. In minutes it was all over.

Obi-wan and Anakin both powered down their lightsabers and looked sadly on the Clones that they had had to kill. Clones that they had led personally in battle on a dozen worlds. "What took you so long?" asked Obi-wan.

"Oh, you know Master. I couldn't find a speeder I really liked. Plus, I figured you could use the practice. You seemed to be moving slower the last time we spared. I was afraid you might be losing your edge."

"Only in your mind, my young apprentice. Regardless, I'm glad you arrived when you did."

"You're welcome."

Turning to Padme, Anakin gave her a bow, "Senator, Master Yoda wishes me to escort you to the Jedi Temple. The Order could use your aide in defeating the Sith Lord."

"Oh Anakin," cried Padme as she rushed into his arms, tears streaming down her face. Anakin looked like he had been hit by a stun blast at Padme's sudden surge of affection.

This caused Obi-wan to smile for what seemed like the first time since they got back Coruscant. "Well don't just stand there Anakin. I believe its considered rude not to hug your wife back when she grabs you like that." If anything, the look on Anakin's face got even more shocked. This was highly amusing to Obi-wan to see his normally outgoing friend be shocked into silence.

"He knows, Anakin. He wants to help," Padme told her bewildered husband.

Embracing Padme with everything he had, Anakin then turned to Obi-wan and took a deep breath. This was _not_ going to be easy.

"Master, let me start by saying that I'm sorry. I know I've failed you and the Order by breaking the Code. I have my reasons, but that doesn't excuse it. I've already spoken to Master Yoda." Looking at Padme, "Once Sidious is gone, I'm leaving the Order. No more secrets." Turning back to Obi-wan, now it was Anakin's turn to chuckle as Obi-wan's mouth had dropped open at Anakin's frank admission and acceptance of the consequences. Something had changed in his old Padawan. And changed for the better. "Obi-wan!" Anakin yelled for the third time.

Finally, snapping out of it, all Obi-wan could do was shake his head. "Did Master Yoda really send you here for Padme?" he asked.

"Yes. While Master Yoda and I were meditating, don't looked so shocked, I do do it occasionally, we discovered who the Sith Lord is. It's a long story and we need to get back the Temple immediately. He may be moving even faster than we feared if the attack here is any indication. I'll fill you both in on the way."

"So that's everything. Master Yoda and I discovered that Palpatine is the Sith Lord. He's manipulated the entire war to get power. Now we need to stop him. But if we try to do that without the Senate behind us, it will just backfire on us and make it look like every accusation Palpatine has ever levied at the Order was true," finished Anakin, giving his best friend and his wife a very condensed version of what was going on.

"So that's why you need me at the Temple. To try and organize the Senate to back the Order in removing Palpatine. I'm not sure it will work. Most of the Senate is behind him, or at the least won't stand up to him. I can get you a few thousand Senators, but not a majority."

"Anakin, I hate to bring this up, but won't your relationship with Padme just turn Senators away? Couldn't they argue that she's the 'Jedi's pet Senator.'" This last bit Obi-wan said with an apologetic look at Padme. She quickly waved his unspoken apology away as not needed.

"It's a possibility," Anakin admitted. "But without it, the Order would be seen as the bad guys here. We're already looked down upon because of the war. This would just make it worse."

"True, but..." Obi-wan stopped in mid sentence. For approaching the Temple was a massive column of Clones. It looked to be every battalion on planet at the moment. At their head, marched a solitary figure, clad all in black and radiating a darkness that seemed to swallow up the light around him.

" _Sidious_ " breathed Anakin. "Hang on, this is gonna be a rough ride in."


	4. Chapter 4: Evacuation

Leaving Anakin to pilot their shuttle, Obi-wan quickly got on the comm to call Master Yoda and warn him of the approaching column of Clones. Master Yoda's response was chilling. "See them approaching, we do. See Sidious at their head as well. Evacuate the Temple, we must. Too many there are for what few Jedi are left. A warning we have sent to all Jedi in the field to escape as best they can. Not received in time by some, it was. Have fallen already, many have. Once landed you have..." Yoda's transmission was abruptly cut off as the Clone Army began to jam the frequencies used by the Temple.

"Look on the bright side," said Anakin. "The Clones use the same frequencies we do. If they're jamming us, they'll be jamming themselves aswell."

"Oh Anakin. Do you really think Palpatine hasn't thought of that and kept at least a few frequencies that we don't know about clear?" Obi-wan asked.

"Sorry Master. You're right. Padme, when we land, I need you to stay with the ship. I can't, I can't bear to think about you being in danger right now." Padme opened her mouth to argue with him, but quickly thought better of it and simply nodded her head. The shock of being betrayed by someone she considered a friend still hurt. How could he have done this, she wondered. Why didn't we see it? Why couldn't I stop him? Her thoughts unknowingly echoing Anakin's.

"Padme. Those are thoughts for another day," Obi-wan told her. "The Sith and the Sith alone are responsible for this. Don't blame yourself. And that goes for you as well Anakin. I can feel your guilt from here. I need you focused." This last point was emphasized by the Clones finally noticing that the shuttle above their heads was flying directly towards the Temple and opening fire on it.

"I am focused Master. More than I have been in a long time," Anakin told him as he deftly dodged the incoming blaster fire. "But I should have seen it. I was closer to him than just about anyone. How didn't I notice that he had me so wrapped up in his web..."

"Another time, Anakin. We'll have time to figure all this out later. For now, we have a mission."

"Yes Master."

"Master Kenobi, Yoda mentioned something about evacuating the Temple. To where?" Padme asked. Obi-wan simply smiled.

"Some place that not even Palpatine would think to look. A planet that the rest of the Galaxy believes lost. You could say its the true home of the Jedi Order."

"Master, surely, you don't mean..."

"Oh yes Anakin. I do."

"Well, would someone mind telling me?" demanded Padme. Before either could answer the shuttle was landing in the Temple.

To say that Sidious was furious would be the understatement of the century. He had arrived at the Temple only to find the doors sealed in his face. Of course he at first attempted to wrench them free with the Force, but the little troll inside had used the Force to seal them and was actively holding them in place. He would have to blast his way through. The Turbolaser batteries were on their way now, but being thwarted, even momentarily was making his blood boil. Surprisingly, he had felt Skywalker return to the Temple. He had been sure that he would flee the planet once he ensured his wife's safety. So perhaps not all was lost there after all? If Skywalker could be captured, then tortured until he turned, he mused, he could still have his apprentice. Oh, he'd have to watch his back every second of every day as he doubted Skywalker would ever truly trust him. Getting Skywalker this way was a bit like keeping a Rancor as a pet. Strong, powerful, frightening to others. And it could turn on you without any warning what so ever. But it was worth the effort if possible. Skywalker's potential was enough to practically make him drool.

"My Lord, the batteries are almost in place. We can begin firing in 5 minutes," Reported Commander Cody.

"Excellent. You may begin firing as soon as they are in position. But make sure you do not target the Archives. I want them intact!" Sidious snarled at him.

"Yes My Lord."

About one third of the way back in the column, Captain Rex, CT-7567 of the 501st Battalion, stood quietly. Were they really going to do this? Attack the Jedi? Turn on their own General? Surely there must be a better way. He had lost count of the number of time General Skywalker had saved his ass in battle. How willing the General was to share each and every hardship with him and his brothers. Could we really turn on him? Clicking off of the main command frequency they had been issued a few hours earlier, he jumped on the battalion command net and quickly called his officers to join him. Ostensibly to go over their battle plan one more time and to do so without risk of Jedi eavesdropping. What he didn't say was that hedidn't want _anyone_ eavesdropping on _this_ conversation. Once they were all gathered together, he quickly got down to business. "Right. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not too comfortable with turning on the General like this. Not even giving him a chance to surrender first? And this order to kill every Jedi on sight regardless of age? What do you think?"

There was a muttered agreement from all the men, none of them feeling good about this. Like Rex, they had all had their Inhibitor Chips removed. The discovery of _that_ little device was almost enough to make some of the men go rouge. Fortunately, Rex and General Skywalker had made sure his men had gotten them removed. General Skywalker especially had been appalled at the men being treated like slaves with chips in their heads. Really, that was the only thing that had kept some of the men from deserting. Personal loyalty to their General. "Alright then. When the order is given, we move in. All blasters set to stun. I don't want anyone to get hurt. If you're about to get cut down, hit the Jedi with a stun blast and drag him to safety. I'll try to get ahold of the General. See what he wants us to do. I've got another idea too that I'm going to try." With that, the 501st prepared to turn their backs on the Republic.

Within the Jedi Temple, the few Jedi left were running around like mad; making ready to abandon their beloved home. Jedi Master Jocasta Nu, the Chief Librarian of the Jedi Order supervised the emptying of the Archives. All the computer records had already been transferred to portable storage units (a monumental task in and of itself) and the computers themselves were in the process of being wiped. That, however was the least of her tasks. The Temple was full of thousands of Holocrons from both the Jedi and the Sith. Not to mention the countless other artifacts from powerful Jedi and Sith past. To let these priceless artifacts fall into the hands of the Sith was unthinkable. She and numerous other Jedi were transferring as many as possible to the transports in the Hanger. In addition, she had tasked a few Padawans to collect the supply of Kyber Crystals kept in the Temple and place them on the shuttles as well. With an attack on this scale, she could only assume that they would not be able to return to Illum anytime soon to gather more. She only hoped the computers and vaults where they were going would be adequate to contain the mountain of information they were bringing.

In the Crèche, Master Kit Fisto was preparing the Younglings to leave, ensuring they all were dressed and ready, supervising the various Knights and Padawans assigned there to care for the children. In truth, he was longing to enter battle, but until Skywalker arrived back at the Temple, this task was his.

Master Windu had been busy organizing the various Knights and Masters to defend key strong points and keep the Clones and Sidious away from the Archives and Hangers as long as possible. He had no illusions about his own prospects for survival. But he fervently hoped that his sacrifice would buy enough time for the bulk of the Order to escape.

Master Yoda sat calmly and serenely with a look of great concentration on his face, his arms outstretched toward the doors of the Temple. Exerting himself through the Force, he made sure the doors stayed closed. He also was weaving a Force Shield around them, blocking them from Sidious' influence. Though powerful, he knew he would not be able to hold the doors forever. Soon, the Order would be in a fight for its life. His greatest hope was that the preparations he and the other Masters had made would be enough to ensure the survival of the Order. He knew the Jedi would be forever changed by this. It saddened him to think that. But, perhaps a good thing, this was. Too arrogant, had the Order grown. Out of touch with the common people. Too set in their ways. Change, needed, it was, he thought. He just hoped that he would live to see it. Somehow, he doubted it.

The hanger was a scene of barely controlled chaos. Masters, Knights and Padawans seemed to rush in every direction at once. Only to a very keen eye would it be apparent that everyone was accomplishing some task that was vital and that it all seemed to be working. Having the Force on your side really was a huge advantage, thought Anakin. "Padme, I want you to try and reach Ahsoka for me. She needs to be warned about what's happening.Try this number. Its something we set up for emergencies. Only her, Rex and I know it. Hopefully no one is monitoring it and she'll get the message. Tell her, tell her we're going home. She'll know what that means."

"Ok. Is there anyone else I should call? Get somebody in the Senate involved?" Padme asked him.

"If you think you can. Make sure they know to stay away from the Temple for their own safety. Obi-wan, how much do you think we should tell them?"

"Not much. I'm not really sure how far anyone can be trusted. Padme, if you're absolutely sure they can be trusted, tell them that we're going some place safe. Somewhere we can regroup. We'll need your's and the Senate's support to overthrow Palpatine," Obi-wan told her.

"So, where exactly are we going?" Padme was finally able to ask.

"Tython. It's deep within the Core. Everyone thinks the Hyperspace routes to it collapsed centuries ago. They didn't. They just shifted. The routes are only known to the Order now. We'll be safe there." Obi-wan told her. "Now, quickly, make the calls. We don't have much time."

Anakin quickly swept Padme up in a tight embrace "I love you. Keep the engines warm for me." Before she could reply, Anakin and Obi-wan were gone, rushing out of the hanger on their respective missions.

Anakin quickly made his way to the Crèche and saw Master Fisto there. "Anakin! You don't know how relived I am to see you. Dealing with younglings is not my strong suite. I have to join Master Windu. Get these young ones to the hanger. Get them out of here. You know where we're going?"

"Yes Master. You have my word. I'll get them to safety. And yes, I know. May the Force be with you Master Fisto."

"May the Force be with us all, Anakin." With that, Master Fisto was gone, rushing to join the defenses with Master Windu.

Oh, how Anakin longed to be there. To defend the only home he had known since he was nine. To pay back Palpatine for all the pain and suffering he had caused in the Galaxy. Anakin felt his control slipping and quickly bit down on it. If he faced Palpatine now, he'd surely give in to his anger at him and that would give the smug bastard exactly what he wanted. Someone lost to the Dark Side forever. It was then that he noticed a youngling walk up to him.

"Master Skywalker, there are too many of them. What are we going to do?"

"What's your name, young one?" asked Anakin, getting down onto one knee in front of the young man.

"Sors Bandeam, Master."

"Well Sors, we're going to get you all out of here. Take you somewhere safe. Do you have all your things?"

"Yes Master Skywalker."

"Good. Do you have your lightsaber? If we run into trouble, I could use your help," Anakin told the young boy, smiling as he did so.

Sors smiled at this and held up his lightsaber. "Yes Master. I never go _anywhere_ without it."

"Good. Now, are you all ready?" Anakin asked the rest of the younglings. He was quickly answered by a chorus of "Yes, Master Skywalker."

"Okay. Stay close to me." Looking at the handful of new Knights and Padawans in the room he quickly spoke to them. "I don't know how long it'll be before the Clones get in. If they breach the Temple before we take off, its our job to make sure the children survive. I don't care if it costs every last one of us our lives, they _will_ live to see another day. So keep between them and the Clones. One more thing. There's a Sith at the head of the Army. If you see him, don't try and fight him. Just get the children to safety. Leave him to me. I'll try and hold him off for as long as I can." Once again, he was answered, "Yes, Master Skywalker."

Nodding his head, he was just about to give the order to move out when his comm went off. He practically went white seeing who it was comming him.

Upon reaching the main Atrium of the Temple, Obi-wan Kenobi quickly sought out Master Yoda only to be intercepted by Master Windu. "Obi-wan! Over here. Master Yoda is trying to hold the Clones at bay by keeping the doors sealed. We've got a job for you. We want you to join Master Dralig in the second line of defenses. There's mostly only Padawans with a few Knights there. If we can't evacuate before the doors are breached, our only defense is to try and slow the Clones as much as possible. At least until we get as many Jedi out of the Temple as possible."

"Of course Master Windu. What about you?"

"I'll be with the first line."

The way in which Mace said that immediately spiked Obi-wan's concern. He looked at Mace very closely. "You don't believe you're going to survive, do you?"

"No, I don't. There's far too many out there. And Sidious hasn't been waiting this long just to fail now. I'll take as many with me as possible and delay the clones as long as I can. I'm not entirely comfortable with entrusting the evacuation of the younglings to Skywalker, but I suppose I don't really have much choice in the matter."

"You don't have to worry about Anakin. He knows who and what Palpatine is now. He won't let him manipulate him anymore. I trust Anakin with my life."

"Very well, Obi-wan. May the Force be with you."

"And with you Mace."

Captain Rex had clicked back into the main Command frequency. "Commander Cody. I've just remembered about a secret passage into the Temple that General Skywalker had told me about. Permission to take my men and assault through there sir?"

"How long would it take you to be in position Captain?" asked Cody.

"No more than 15 minutes Sir. My men and I can ensure that no Jedi will escape through it while hitting them with an attack from behind."

"Permission granted Captain. Report when in position."

"Yes, Sir." Clicking back to the battalion frequency, Captain Rex quickly ordered his men to move out while Commander Cody ordered the next battalion in line to move up. Saying a silent prayer to any and every deity he could think of, which was actually quite a few considering the number of planets he had been on, he and his men quickly marched to the Temple's little known back door. Grabbing the comm General Skywalker had given him, he quickly commed him, hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't be too late.

Anakin silently held up a finger and hushed the Crèche. He wasn't sure which side Rex was on at the moment and didn't want to risk him figuring out what was going on. At least not until he was sure he could trust him. "Captain. I hope you're not calling to ask me to surrender. I would have thought you knew me better than that."

"I do General. Sir, I've spoken with my men. What the Chancellor ordered. It isn't right. You've fought beside us every day of this war. I owe my life to you on more than one occasion. Most of my men could say the same. I've moved my men out of the main assault column. We're marching to the passage you showed me Sir. We're awaiting your orders General."

Anakin had lost count of the number of times his entire world had been flipped upside down today. What was this now? The sixth? Seventh? He felt good knowing that at least his men were refusing to turn on him. "Stand by Rex. We'll probably have you help cover the hanger. Let me check with Master Yoda or Master Windu." Grabbing his other comm, his official one, he quickly reached out to Master Yoda. When there was no answer, he commed Master Windu. Thankfully, the Clone's jamming was much less effective inside the Temple.

"What is it Skywalker? The Clones have started to fire at the main doors with a turbolaser battery. They can't hold much longer."

"Master, I've just been contacted by Captain Rex and his men. They're refusing to turn on us sir. They're awaiting our orders."

"Can you trust them? How do you know that this isn't just a trap?" After all, Mace reasoned, _his_ men were out there with Sidious, what makes Skywalker's any different?

"Master, you have to trust me on this. We can trust him. Rex is a good man. He won't betray us."

"Alright. I know the Clones think of each other as brothers. I _want_ to have you station them with us in the front, to hold the Army at bay as long as possible. But I'm not sure they'd be comfortable with fighting their brother's like that. Have them cover the hanger bay and escort the younglings. If they're seen, maybe it'll look like they've captured them and they won't be fired on."

"Yes, Master." Anakin quickly relayed the instructions to Rex, who was visibly relived to know he wouldn't be asked to fight his brothers (though he and his men were prepared to if that's what their General ordered). Having accomplished that, Anakin quickly began moving the children to the hangers. Just as the first younglings reached the hanger, the turbolasers finally broke through.


	5. Chapter 5: Operation Knightfall

Across Coruscant, Bail Organa was receiving some very strange messages. It seems that a number of clones had attacked Senators. On the orders of their Jedi Generals! Unlike most Senators, Bail actually had good relations with the Jedi, counting Masters Yoda, Windu and Kenobi among his closest friends. Things just didn't add up. On top of that, the Chancellor had sent a very odd message shortly after the attacks had started. Something along the lines of, "I have taken personal control of our Clone Army and am preparing to crush the Jedi Rebellion." Bail was rarely ever confused, but he freely admitted he was now. He also couldn't seem to reach anyone at the Temple to find out what was going on. Right as he made up his mind to head to the Temple himself, his communicator went off. Once he saw who it was, he gave a huge sigh of relief. "Padme! You don't know how relived I am to hear from you. When I heard about the attacks, I was afraid they might have targeted you."

"What attacks are you talking about Bail? And why would they target me? I'll grant you, I've been an outspoken opponent of the war, but I highly doubt I'd be targeted in a terrorist attack," Padme answered, growing just a bit confused herself now.

"So you haven't heard then. Padme, the Chancellor issued a statement that the Jedi have turned on us. Ordered the Clones under their command to attack members of the Senate to stage a coup. Mon Mothma, Garm bel Iblis, Orn Free Taa and about 100 others have been killed. Palpatine stated that he had assumed personal control of the GAR and was leading an attack on the Jedi."

The news of so many of her fellow Senators being killed hit Padme like a ton of durasteel. This couldn't be happening! An attack on the Senate _and_ on the Jedi? What was Palpatine playing at? Suddenly, as if a light grid had been illuminated directly over her, she saw it. When you put what Bail knew and what she knew together, Palpatine's plan was suddenly crystal clear.

"Are you still there Padme?"

"Yes, Bail, I am. I need you to listen carefully, I don't have much time. Palpatine isn't who we all thought he was. He's the Sith Lord the Jedi have been looking for. He's been playing the entire Galaxy for the sake of power. _Palpatine_ ordered the attack on the Senators. They attacked me. But I was in a meeting with Master Kenobi. He and Anakin saved my life. The Clones attacked them as well. And now Palpatine is outside the Temple trying to kill everyone inside. Bail, if Palpatine convinces the Senate that the _Jedi_ ordered the attack on them, what do you think would happen? The Senate would fall all over itself giving him even _more_ power and direct control of the Army. Plus, it would destroy public opinion of the Jedi. He would have a free hand to do whatever he wanted."

"Dear lord," breathed Bail as what Padme said sank in. It all made sense now. The war, the way Palpatine kept accruing more and more power. "What have we done?"

"Bail, listen to me. There's still a chance. The Jedi have a plan to preserve the Order. As long as we have the Jedi, we're not powerless. But they're going to need help on the inside if they can't defeat Palpatine here and now. Almost the entire Army is outside the Temple right now. We're preparing to evacuate."

"'We'?'"

"I'm in the Temple. After the attack on me, Obi-wan and Anakin brought me to the Temple for safety. And Yoda wished to talk to me. But Palpatine attacked before we could meet."

"I see. Why don't we do this. I'm going to head off planet. Send me rendezvous coordinates. Perhaps we can come up with a plan to save the Republic."

"I will. Be careful."

"You as well Padme."

Jedi Master Plo Koon still couldn't believe that his men, the men who called themselves "Plo's Bros" had turned on him. Even despite the carbon scoring on his starfighter proving that they had. What had happened to cause this? He was utterly at a loss. Thank the Force he had received the warning message from Master Yoda mere seconds before his men opened fire. Only his Force Enhanced reflexes and natural skill as a pilot had saved him. It had broken his heart to fire on his men. But given no other options, he had. Though he had done his best to just disable their craft instead of outright killing them. Once he had gotten just a little breathing room, he had docked with his hyperdrive ring and shot into hyperspace. After a few more redirects and backtracking, he'd head to the rendezvous point. He just hoped his fellow Jedi had gotten the warning in time. Sadly, he knew some hadn't as he had felt their presences in the Force wink out.

Ki-Adi-Mundi had been hiding in the bombed out ruins of the city on Mygeeto for hours now. Yoda's message had reached him just as he was about to lead his men in an another assault. While making his was to his ship, he had overheard a voice instruct a clone trooper to, "Execute Order 66." His immediate reaction was, "Not good." While Cereans were certainly not known for their athletic ability, he did have the Force on his side and used it to put on a burst of speed and clear the area. Too late. He had been spotted and his Marines, the men he had fought and bled beside, fired on him. Would have killed him too had he not reached the city ruins just then and lost them within. He could hear them out there still looking for him. He dare not ignite his lightsaber if any found him, it's distinctive snap-hiss would surely give him away. Seeing some of the Clones approaching, he used the Force and shifted some of the rubble about 200 yards away. It worked. The men converged on the spot. Momentarily distracted, Ki slipped out of the rubble and to a landing pad, appropriated a ship with a hyperdrive and burned into the sky. Destination: Tython.

Depa Billaba, Jedi Master and High Council member knew she would not live out the day. She had gotten the warning from Yoda and immediately began preparing to escape. She and her Padawan, Caleb Dume, had boarded a shuttle and were just preparing to take off when the clones arrived and began to fire on them. Telling Caleb where to go and ordering him to take off, she rushed down the ramp and engaged the kriffing clones as they tried to kill them both. Sinking deeply into the Force, she let it guide her movements as she had for her entire life. The Force sang as she blocked shot after shot from the Clones. Just as Caleb reached orbit, a well placed blaster shot slipped through her defenses and hit her squarely in the chest. Her lightsaber dropping from suddenly nerveless fingers, she fell to her knees, the clones pumping bolt after bolt into her. As she fell face first into the dirt, she used the last of her strength withthe Force to send a comforting thought to her Padawan: _There is no death, there is the Force._ And then she was gone.

After disconnecting with Bail, Padme used the number Anakin had given her and reached out to Ahsoka. After what seemed an interminable delay, Ahsoka answered. "Oh thank the Force you're alive Ahsoka!"

"Padme, what is it? You look and feel like you're in shock," the young Togruta said to her.

"I am a bit. Anakin wanted me to reach you. Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith. He's ordered the Clone Army to turn on the Jedi. They're attacking the Temple as we speak. He wants me to tell you that, 'they're going home.'"

"Wow. Ok. I'm packing now. Tell Skyguy I'll be there. Thank you, Senator. May the Force be with you."

Well, thought Padme, that's two calls down. Only about a thousand more to go. Force, she hoped she'd be able to accomplish _some_ good here.

"Acknowledged Commander, moving in now," Captain Rex reported to Commander Cody. Ordering the forces under his command to move in on the command net, he then disabled the comm channel. Looking at General Skywalker outside the Temple Hanger he told him, "Well, hopefully that little performance buys us a little time before they figure it out."

"I'm sure it well Rex. I can't thank you enough for this. I know it wasn't easy for you," Skywalker replied. "If there's anything I can ever do for you or your men, you have my word, it's yours."

"No sir. We're just doing what's right. Now lets get these kids out of here."

"Right. Leave a third of your men here to guard the hanger. The rest of the Order has been informed that you and your men are friendlies. Position another third along the route to the hanger from the Crèche and we'll use the other third for close escort. And tell the men, if they _have_ to fire, use stun if they can. I don't want this is on their conscience."

"Yes, sir. I've already told them sir. But thank you."

"Ok, I've got the kids from the 23rd level. There's another two children's dorms on levels 24 and 25. That'll be our job. I'll go with you just in case." Looking at the Knights and Padawans with him, he picked out two Knights to accompany him and ordered the rest to get the children on the shuttles and prepare to take off. What he really wanted to do just then however, was run into the Hanger and check on Padme; then rush down to the Atrium and fight alongside his fellow Jedi. Clamping down on his personal feelings for the moment, he headed back to the Crèche to get more Younglings.

As the doors to the Temple finally gave way, Yoda gathered the Force to him and flipped back into the first rank of defenders. Drawing his lightsaber he, along with the other Jedi, ignited their blades and prepared to defend their home. Surprisingly, the Clones _didn't_ enter at a rush. Instead, Darth Sidious walked in. Alone. Upon seeing him, Yoda leveled his lightsaber at the Dark Lord and said, "Entered our home, unbidden you have. Leave it intact, you will not."

With a snarl, Sidious' lightsaber shot into his hand, it's blood red blade igniting with a snap-hiss. Giving a loud scream, he flew threw the air, straight a Master Yoda. Leaping to meet him, Yoda traded blow for blow with the Sith Master. Neither one gaining an advantage. The Master of Juyo dueling the Ataru Master. Both focused totally on the other. Only vaguely was either combatant aware that the Clones had now entered the Temple and a full scale battle had erupted.

Obi-wan could only watch helplessly as the Clones cut down Agen Koler and Eeth Koth. The battle had only just started and yet over 200 clones were lying dead on the floor of the Temple along with over 30 Jedi, among them several Masters. He could plainly pick out Mace's distinctive purple blade, right in the midst of the fighting. Mace's Vaapad style of fighting giving him an unpredictability that the Clones found hard to match. With a thud and a grunt, Yoda flew into the Column next to him, being on the receiving end of a massive Force Push from Palpatine. In a flash, Yoda was back up and bounding back into the fight. Literally flinging his lightsaber into and through the Clones, a small green ball of energy. With a start, Obi-wan realized he could no longer see Sidious' red blade. The Force suddenly flaring with warning, Obi-wan's lightsaber was out and lit before he had even consciously recognized the danger. His blue blade intercepting a blast of Force Lightning milliseconds before it would have caught him squarely in the chest. Deflecting and redirecting it, he faced Sidious, the lightning arcing back on Sidious. Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. Looking at Obi-wan with eyes of burning yellow, Sidious lunged at him, his lightsaber swinging in low before lunging up, Obi-wan's blade catching the attack and turning the red blade aside.The madness of Juyo against the impenetrable defense of Soresu. As Yoda had before him, Obi-wan dueled the Sith across the Atrium, completely focused on his opponent, waiting for the slightest opening to strike.

Sidious was in his glory. Never had he felt the Dark Side flow so strongly through him before. Seeing the Jedi laying dead on the floor before him gave him all the assurance he needed to know that the time was now. The day that the Sith would take up their rightful mantle as the Rulers of the Galaxy. Orchestrating from the shadows was all well and good, but _this_ , open combat against the best the Jedi Order had to give, his lightsaber in his hand, _this_ is how the Sith were meant to be, their power on display for all to see. It seemed as if every moment he spent in combat raised his powers ever higher. The Dark Side taking him to heights he could scarcely believe existed. As he battled Obi-wan, he couldn't help but smirk. The foolish Jedi actually believed he could win. He could crush him like an insect. Finally slicing Obi-wan's lightsaber in two, he was just about to deliver the coup de grace when suddenly, the Force screamed a warning at him and he flipped back, watching the green blade of Yoda's lightsaber sail through the spot he had just been in less than a second earlier.

Calling Agen Koler's lightsaber to his hand, Obi-wan watched as Sidious quickly cut down 5 Jedi in the space of a single heartbeat. The first line was getting thinner and thinner. He'd have to bring his Knights and Padawans into the fray. Just as he was about to give the order, his communicator went off. It was Anakin.

"Master, I've got all the Younglings in the shuttles and Master Nu has loaded all the computer data and the artifacts that can be moved as well. We're ready to go as soon as everyone gets here. Captain Rex and his men are rigging the corridors and walls with explosives to seal the way behind you and slow the GAR. I'm warming up all the shuttles and our fighters now."

"Well done Anakin! We're on our way. Sending the retreat signal now."

"May the Force be with you Master."

"And with you, Anakin."

As soon as Obi-wan's message was transmitted, the Jedi began pulling back. Though the price theyhad already paid was high. Of the nearly one thousand Jedi that had been in the Temple at the start of the battle,only about seven hundred were left. And more fell as they retreated. All told, six hundred and sixty-eight Jedi made it to the Hangers. Master Windu was not among them. Reaching the last doorway before the Hanger, a well placed shot from one of the Clones fried the firing circuit to the charges placed there. As engineers from the 501st worked feverishly to repair it, Mace stood his ground holding off the onslaught. His blade flashing, deflecting the fire of the clones back at them, a blast caught him in the leg. Using the Force to hold him up, he refused to give in. Again and again he was hit. His reactions growing slower as the blasters took their toll. Collapsing just as the engineers from the 501st fixed the firing circuit, his last act was to Force Push the two clones through the doorway and trigger the blast with the Force. True to his word, Mace held the clones off for as long as he possibly could, then took out as many as he could as he became one with the Force.

Watching the Jedi get pushed deeper and deeper into their Temple, a satisfied smile spread across Palpatine's face. Dooku had certainly done a fine job in choosing Jango Fett to be the template for the Clones. They were more than up to the task. As the Clones pushed past the Archives, Sidious entered and froze in his tracks. "NOOOOOOOO!" He rushed to where the Sith artifacts should be. They were gone! The computers had been wiped as well. Giving a scream that shattered the screens of the computersin the room, he charged after the Clones. The Jedi must not be allowed to escape!

In the Hanger Bay, the surviving Jedi rushed into the shuttles, joined by the men of the 501st. Obi-wan Kenobi, with Anakin's help, was ensuring that the best pilots in the Order were flying the Jedi Starfighters that were in the Hanger. Yoda, observing this made his way to his personal fighter soon followed by Obi-wan and Anakin. Anakin of course first checked on Padme, asured her he was alright and made sureshe was. He also made sure one of the Healers was with her just in case she went into labor.

Above the planet, the Republic Navy was given emergency orders to block any escape from the Temple. The confusion this caused was enormous as no one had explained to them what was going on down on the surface. They were relying on fragmented comm calls and incomplete reports on the holonet. As the ships began to shift their orbits and reposition, a stream of Delta-7s and Eta-2s began hitting every turbolaser emplacement they could find. They also targeted the ships engines to try and strand them. This attack caught the fleet by surprise with their shields still down. Though some of the Jedi Starfighters were hit, the vast majority, and the transports they were escorting, managed to escape into hyperspace.

Reviewing the records after the battle showed that the craft piloted by Yoda and Anakin Skywalker had accounted for 65% of the hits by themselves. It also showed that some of the ship's officers were very reluctant to fire on the Jedi. Their fates were swift, and final. The Galactic Republic had given way to the Galactic Empire.


	6. Chapter 6: Plans and Politics

The Deep Core. The oldest known region of the Galaxy. Populated by so many stars that traveling through it was exceedingly dangerous. Dangerous, that is if you didn't know exactly where you were going. Fortunately, the Jedi did know. Upon arrival at the rendezvous point, Master Yoda had the ships wait for 5 standard days to give survivors time to reach the rendezvous. It saddened him that so few had survived. Over 7,000 Jedi, dead. For a being who could remember when the Order numbered in the millions, seeing so few left saddened him deeply. While waiting for other survivors, Yoda had spent his time meditating, as he suspected a great number of Jedi had. In that time, he had come to realize the extent of the changes the Order would need to make. Convincing everyone else would be the hard part.

For Anakin, the waiting was the worst part. He had volunteered to fly ahead, make sure Tython was still secure. Master Yoda had declined, stating that Anakin would be needed here in case Palpatine caught on to where they had gone. Anakin suspected that what Yoda really meant was that he would prefer if Anakin spent the time meditating and try to come to peace with everything that had happened. He did _try_. And he had to admit, that he was at least partially successful. His mind did feel much clearer than it had in a long time. He probably owed a Yoda a thank you for that. Had it really taken the near death of the Order for him to become the Jedi he should have been all along? Anakin shook his head. One more thing to meditate on. He _really_ should have paid more attention to Obi-wan when he was a Padawan. Then maybe he'd actually have the hang of this.

_

As soon as Padme had disconnected, Ahsoka flew into action. Though she was technically no longer a Jedi, she had little doubt as to how the Sith would view her. Fortunately, she was still enough of a Jedi that she hadn't acquired much in the way of belongings. She even still dressed like a Jedi. Luckily, she had just finished building a new pair of lightsabers. She had a feeling that she was going to need them.

Right as she reached the spaceport she felt the Force almost literally scream in agony as countless Jedi were snuffed from existence. It was enough to drop her to her knees. It was just her bad luck that a squad of Clones was passing by just then and one of them happened to see her lightsaber.

"JEDI!!!" the Clone shouted.

Before anyone else could react, she was up and into the attack. Batting blaster bolts aside with one blade and slicing through the Clones with the other. "Well," she thought, "there goes my plan for a nice, quiet get away. Guess its time for Plan B." Unfortunately, she didn't really _have_ a Plan B. Deciding that her odds weren't going to get any better, she made a break for it and reached the landing pads. This is when being Skywalker's apprentice _really_ paid off. She could instantly look at a ship and just _know_ it was what she needed. Or not. So it was now. Bounding up the ramp, she slapped the controls to begin closing it as she rushed past them. Reaching the Cockpit, she immediately began an abbreviated power up sequence. As soon as power was up, she flipped on the shields, hit the repulsors and rocketed up into the Coruscant sky chased by a hail of blaster fire. "That didn't go so bad," she thought. Now, to head to the Rendezvous.

_

Deciding it would be best _not_ to take a direct route to the rendezvous from Coruscant, Bail instructed his ship's pilot, Captain Antilles, to make several indirect jumps to throw off anyone who might be tracking them. It was on the second redirect that he began picking up emergency distress signals. Over the next day, the _Tantive IV_ picked up over a dozen Jedi who had managed to escape the Clones but lacked a hyperspace capable ship. Among these survivors were Jedi Masters Shaak Ti and A'Sharad Hett. Once Bail and his crew had determined that there were no further distress beacons, he ordered his ship to the Rendezvous.

Upon his arrival at the Rendezvous coordinates, Bail, Padme, and the surviving members of the Jedi High Council met aboard his ship. Bail was deeply saddened to find that half the Council, including his friend Mace, were no longer with them. But Bail was, above all else, a politician. There was business, very important business, to attend to now. He would grieve for his friends later.

To Padme, it seemed like forever before an agreement was reached. Bail would provide intelligence from within the Senate of what was happening in the Republic. He and Padme would begin a quiet recruitment of Senators that would be willing to oppose Palpatine. This would be more difficult for her as, to the rest of the Galaxy, she was being reported as dead, killed by the Clones that had attacked the Senate. She had tried to argue with the Jedi that she would be much more useful if she returned to the Senate. While they agreed that she likely would be, Master Yoda had put the final nail in that coffin by reminding her of whose children she carried and that with Sidious now lacking an apprentice, he would likely take them to train and kill her out of hand. Judging by the looks on the faces of the rest of the Council, Yoda apparently hadn't quite gotten around to telling them about her and Anakin. Just wonderful she thought. On the plus side, they really couldn't afford to expel Anakin from the Order at this point.

Of course the truly difficult part of the assignment she and Bail had was convincing the Senators they contacted that the Jedi _weren't_ behind the attack on the Senate and that it had actually been orchestrated by Palpatine. And to do it _without_ letting it slip that the Jedi were still alive, still determined to end the threat of the Sith for all time. At least not until they were certain they had that Senator's support. The Jedi for their part had decided to briefly take some time to heal and center themselves and would then begin doing what they could to disrupt Palpatine's plans and generaly make life as difficult for him as they possibly could.

After Bail had left, informing them of a Senate meeting the Chancellor had called, the Jedi began discussing what they would have to do once they reached Tython. No one really knew what they would find there. Jedi records indicated that, at one time, there was a fairly substantial Temple on the planet along with numerous Landing Pads, Training Grounds and Meditation Groves. But these records were nearly a thousand years old. The records also mentioned that a number of maintenance droids were left behind to care for the Temple and associated infrastructure, but it was doubtful if any of them were still active after over 900 years. One thing the Jedi did have in their favor however, was the fact that a fairly large percentage of the Jedi Service Corps had survived. The AgriCorps, MediCorps, ExplorCorps and EduCorps would be _invaluable_ in resettling Tython.

_

Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin looked out over Mustafar. The Separatist traitors actually believed they would be safe here. Now that he no longer had to worry about the Jedi's moralizing, his orders were clear and simple. No survivors. He would personally lead the strike team to the surface.

 **It** was all over quickly. The Clones gunned down every last one of the alien scum. He made his way to the communication console and transmitted the order to shut down the Separatist droid armies. Finished with that, his only remaining task was to contact the Emperor, as Palpatine was soon to be known.

_

Palpatine's address to the Senate was broadcast live over the Holonet. Everyone on the shuttle sat in stunned silence as he deftly manipulated and played the Senate. Hearing how Palpatine twisted the facts to suit him, Padme had to admit a grudging respect for him as a political operative. Of course, she quickly dismissed it remembering what he'd done to get his power. Hearing him utter the phrases, "the Republic will be reorganized into the First Galactic Empire, for a safe a secure society," and "By bringing the entire galaxy under one law, one language, and the enlightened guidance of one individual," made her deeply afraid for the future. Unlike most of the beings listening to the speech throughout the galaxy, she was very well aware of exactly what Palpatine meant. Hearing him announce a new position of Regional Governors that would report directly to him, made the Senate even more powerless than it already was. And the rest of the speech only got worse. By the time it was over, she was practically physically ill. The Jedi were little better.

"The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated!" Those words continued to echo within Obi-wan's head. The applause that followed just seemed to amplify it. After that, Palpatine's declaration that the Republic would be reorganized into an empire felt somewhat anti-climactic. How could they not see what Palpatine was doing? Were they so blind? Hadn't the years of war taught them anything? Dark times were definitely ahead. Padme had said it best he thought, "So this is how liberty dies-to thunderous applause."


	7. Chapter 7: Tython

No living Jedi had ever set foot on Tython. The planet had been abandoned almost a millennia ago, with most believing it was due to the hyperspace routes collapsing. That, however, was simply what the Jedi let people believe. While some had argued strongly against abandoning the Order's home, it was finally agreed that it would be best to keep it as place of safety for the Order in trying times. The wisdom of that decision was only too apparent now. As the Jedi's ships dropped out of hyperspace, many were taken back by the beauty of the planet. The Force seemed to _sing_ here. It could be felt by all before they had even entered the system. For Jedi who had lived in a galaxy where the Force had been clouded for too long, it was like stepping out of a building and into the Sun. This world was truly how the Force was meant to be.

Approaching the area where their information, dug up my Master Nu, said the Jedi Temple had stood, many were surprised to see it still there. The landing pads were even still usable. Apparently, they built droids to last 900 years ago. As the Jedi set foot on their new home, many felt a deeper, more profound connection to the Force than they ever had before.

Anakin gingerly set his personalized starfighter down on one of the smaller landing pads. The thing _looked_ solid, but until it took all of his ship's weight, he wouldn't trust it. Who was he kidding? He wouldn't trust it until he'd gone over it's structure with a fine toothed comb and made sure it was sound. But that could wait. He had more important things to see too. He'd kept an eye on Padme's ship the whole way down. He really didn't care if anyone else saw him at this point. He _had_ to check on her. He didn't feel the sheer terror for her that he felt before, but he was still worried. Making his way through the landing ships, he was waiting for Padme when she walked down the ramp from the shuttle. Maybe it was his imagination, but she looked and felt different somehow. He wrote it off to finally feeling the Force in it's full power for the first time.

Sweeping her into his arms, he just stood and held her. Things were going to be different now. Their lives as they had known them were over. So much was going to change. But one thing Anakin did know, that as long as he had Padme, everything would be alright.

"Young Skywalker. Quite finished are you, hmmm?" Yoda said. "If finished you are, join Master Kenobi you will. Ensure the Temple is secure. No one further do I wish to lose."

Disentangling himself from his wife and giving her a somewhat sheepish look, he turned to Master Yoda and replied, "Yes, Master. I'll join him right away."

"Very good, Young Skywalker." As Anakin walked off to join Obi-wan, Master Yoda turned to Padme. "Much to discuss, we have Senator. About the future, about the past, about the present. About you, as well. Told me, Anakin has, of your marriage and your child. Warms my heart it does to see happiness among the chaos of the war. Speak more tonight, we will."

"Of course, Master Yoda. I'm at your disposal," Padmetold him. "Is there anything I can do in the meantime to help? I don't want to just stand around doing nothing."

"Hmmmm, help with the younglings, you may. Good practice for you it will be." With that, Yoda walked away laughing to himself.

Shaking her head and laughing as well, Padme headed off to help with the Younglings. Though she did feel a little guilty that she could laugh at all considering everything else going on in the galaxy.

On his way to meet with Obi-wan, Anakin ran into Ahsoka. He felt a massive surge of relief knowing that his Padawan was safe. "Snips!" He shouted.

"Skyguy!" she shouted to him as they ran up to each other. "You don't know how glad I am to see you."

"Same here Snips. It's good to see. And good to have you back. Hey! No objections. Besides, where else are you gonna go?"

"Well, I..."

"I want you here Ahsoka. You're family. This is where you belong. Just like me. We may not want to admit it, but you and I are Jedi to our core. And always will be. So what do you say? Ready to stay home and finish what you started?"

Giving Anakin a bit of a look, she smiled up at him."Yes. Master."

Grinning, Anakin pulled her into a hug. "Alright my eager young Padawan. I've got to join Master Kenobi in clearing the Temple. Check in with Master Yoda. See where he wants you to help out. He's the one running this show."

"On my way, Master."

Laughing and rolling his eyes a bit at his Padawan, the two Jedi went their separate ways. For now.

Obi-wan, Anakin, a dozen other Jedi Knights and a company from the 501st carefully entered the long abandoned Jedi Temple. It was disconcerting that it was in as good condition as it was considering how long it had been since the last time someone had walked these halls. Oh, the Temple was certainly dust coated and in need of an overall cleaning, but other than that it was in remarkable condition. And apparently completely empty. They had been through nearly half the Temple and had yet to come across anything. No droids, no sentients, no beasts. The last wasn't really all that surprising since the doors to the Temple had been secured, requiring an accesscode that Master Nu provided from the Archives. What was surprising was that there weren't _any_ tracks to be seen on the floors.

Noticing that none of the lights or doors were operational, Anakin leaned over toward Obi-wan and whispered, "Power Generator is probably out."

"That's just a little obvious, don't you think Anakin?" retorted Obi-wan.

"Somebody had to say it." Calling over Captain Rex, he asked him to pull up the schematics that Master Nu had sent. Pointing to the Utility level, he said, "There. Power generation and droid maintenance and control bay. Why don't we split up? I'll take 6 of the Knights with me and a squad of my men, leave the rest with you to sweep the upper levels. If everything is clear down below, I'll get started on getting power back online and see about maybe getting some of the droids back up and running. They can't have been offline for too long considering how well maintained the Temple still is."

Stroking his beard for a moment, Obi-wan finally nodded. "Done. Just do be careful, Anakin. Padme would have my head if I let something happen to you now."

"You know me Master."

"Yes, that's what I'm worried about. Calling over Pablo-Jil, Khandra, Prosset and three others Obi-wan instructed them to join Anakin and head down to the Utility levels. "Rex, you go with them too. Detail your men."

"Yes, Sir," replied the Captain. Turning to his men,"You heard the General. Lets move." A squad of men instantly detached from the main body and began clearing the path down to the Utility Level. Shaking his head, Anakin and the other Jedi followed.

Once reaching the Utility Level, Anakin first checked the droid bay to make sure that the droids truly were offline and not just hiding because they hadn't seen a sentient being in a millennia. They were. From the looks of things, they had run out of power when the Generator had gone offline. He was actually surprised by the sheer number of droids in the bay. Over 500 at a rough count. No wonder they had been able to maintain the Temple so well. Of course, getting them all back online was going to take some time. Before he could power them up, he'd have to check their verbobrains to make sure their coding hadn't gotten corrupted. He'd rather not have to wipe their memory if he could avoid it. There's no telling what they might be able to tell them about the ancient Jedi. Later, Anakin, he reminded himself. First, get the Generator online again.

Fortunately the Generator was the next room over. Whoever had designed and built the Temple (that part was absent from the Archives) had certainly known what they were doing. After inspecting the generator, he called up to Obi-wan. "Found the problem. A number of couplings burned out. Guess the droids didn't have any more spares and with the reduced power output from the generator, they probably couldn't make more. If I cannibalize one of the shuttles for parts I think I can have it up and running in an hour."

"Well that's some good news. We cleared the rest of the Temple. Everything is secure. Plenty of dorm space for everyone, training rooms, kitchen and dining hall. Once the power is back we should be able to begin setting up right away," Obi-wan answered.

"Alright. I'm heading to the landing pads. Oh, by the way. I found the droids. There's over 500 of them. No wonder the Temple was so well preserved. Once the power is up, I'll work on getting the droids back up. Artoo can help me with that."

"That sounds fine, Anakin. Let Master Yoda know what we've found. I'm sure he'd like to begin getting things moving."

"Yes, Master."

After informing Master Yoda of the situation, Anakin quickly removed the needed couplings from the shuttle (he hoped once the power was restored the droids would be able to make a few so they wouldn't lose one of the handful of ships they had) and began repairing the generator. He had it up and running just when he said he would.

As power came back to the Temple, Master Nu and the other Archivists of the Order began setting up the Archives. This was going to take awhile. While there was plenty of space on the computers for all the data, the computers were quite a bit slower than those back on Coruscant. And the connections were slightly different. It didn't take long to modify what they needed, but it still slowed things down. While the data was being downloaded, she set a number of Padawans to work cleaning the Archives and preparing them to store the Holocrons and artifacts they had brought with them. Her main concern was securing the Holocrons that taught dangerous abilities and those from the Sith. It was going to be a long night.

Padme was exhausted. Granted, Jedi children were _far_ better behaved than most younglings, but they still had massive amounts of energy. On top of the ability to use the Force. Being nearly 8 months pregnant didn't help either. She had spent the day helping Aayla Secura with the Younglings. The children seemed to be fascinated with her. And she with them. How could anyone want to hurt these children? Her thoughts turning to what Palpatine had tried to do at the Temple. As her thoughts got more melancholy, she noticed a change come over thechildren. They seemed to get sad as well. "That's weird," Padme thought. "Just a second ago they were running around laughing and playing. Now they're close to tears." That was when she noticed Master Secura giving her a strange look.

Aayla looked at Padme intently and whispered to her, "You need to stop that. You're projecting your feelings through the Force and the younglings are reacting to it."

"I'm _what_?!" Padme whispered back, a shocked look on her face.

"You're projecting what you're feeling into the Force. It's influencing the Children. Even I can feel it."

"How could I be doing that? I'm not even Force Sensitive. Wouldn't I have to at least be Force Sensitive to do that?"

"Are you sure, you aren't? Because in the Force, you feel like a Force user."

For what seemed like the hundredth time since the night the Temple fell, Padme felt her jaw drop open.


	8. Chapter 8: A New Master

On Coruscant a dark storm was brewing over the Senate Tower. Darth Sidious was _furious_. Yes, the Jedi Temple was in ruins. Yes, thousands of Jedi had been killed almost instantly. Yes, he was now the Galactic Emperor, the first Sith in a millennia to claim the title. But as far as he was concerned, the plan had been an utter failure.Thousands of Jedi had escaped. Including that annoying little troll Yoda. The blasted Jedi had emptied the Archives before he could secure them, taking all those powerful Sith artifacts that had called to him through the dark side for years. Not a blasted one was left. On top of that, the Jedi had vanished. Gone. Not a trace of them left anywhere. Their ships had been heading toward the Outer Rim when they jumped to Hyperspace, but who knows where they went after that. But the _worst_ part of it, was that fool Skywalker. He had turned his back on him. Preferring to stay with his _friends_. Misguided young idiot.

What puzzled him though, was he had felt Skywalker return to the Temple just before the fighting broke out. He, Kenobi and Senator Amidala had literally flown right over him. He had actually fought Kenobi in the Temple, but had not so much as glimpsed Skywalker. Which was strange. Surely, if Kenobi had time to reach the fight, Skywalker should have. The boy had a nearly unquenchable thirst for battle. Why hadn't he joined the rest of the Jedi in defending the Temple? In fact, the only fighting that Skywalker did was in his Starfighter during the final escape of the Jedi from Coruscant. This was something to figure out later. Of more immediate concern, the loss of Skywalker meant the loss of his chosen apprentice. Normally, when the need for an apprentice arose, the Master usually already had a candidate, if not several, already in mind. In _this_ case, he had regrettably been a bit too sure about turning Skywalker. And the blasted Jedi had taken all their records on Force Sensitive individuals. Not that the Sith had ever relied on Jedi rejects, but it would have made the search easier.

That gave rise to another thought. Should he focus on training just one apprentice or should he forsake the Rule of Two and train multiple acolytes? Normally, he would just find a suitable individual and train him as his apprentice. But the situation that had existed for nearly a thousand years and gave rise to the Rule of Two had now changed. The Sith were no longer in hiding, but were ascendant while the Jedi were on the run. Perhaps he should train more than one. With thousands of Jedi out there, aware of the Sith, aware of _him_ , it would be prudent to build a strong force of Force Users. Darth Bane would curse him from beyond the grave, but his plan had succeeded. Now he needed a new one.

_

On Tython, things had settled down for the night. The Younglings had been bedded down, about half the Temple had been cleaned and everyone had eaten. Master Nu was still busy in the Archives, but considering some of the items in her care, that was to be expected. Master Yoda had called a council meeting a bit earlier in the evening. He had taken the time to commiserate with his fellow Jedi about their loss. But he had also explained the situation with Skywalker to them. And how it was because of Anakin that the Order was even still alive. The situation hadn't been resolved yet, but it was accepted that there really wasn't an option to expel him from the Order. Having accomplished that, Yoda began to address the current state of the Council. Half their number had become one with the Force. This would have to be addressed. Some names were quickly agreed on. Aayla Secura was the first one the Council agreed to add. It was also agreed that Master Nu would retake her seat on the Council. That left 4. Master Kenobi suggested Cin Dralig be added to the Council. After some discussion it was agreed to offer him a seat. This then led into who would take over as Battlemaster of the Order. Ki-Adi-Mundi suggested Anakin as, outside of Yoda and possibly Obi-wan, he was the finest duelist in the Order and had a deeper understanding of lightsaber combat than just about anyone. This caused an almost immediate uproar.

"He's not even a Master!" protested Shaak Ti. "Not to mention we have yet to resolve his breaking of the Code."

"A Master he may not be. But committed to the Jedi, he is. Broken the Code, yes. But still within the light is he. Agree with Master Mundi I do. Trusted Young Skywalker I did to save the Younglings. Proved himself worthy of that trust he did," Master Yoda responded. "Speak to him we should before deciding."

"I too agree with Masters Mundi and Yoda," stated Kit Fisto. "Anakin is possibly the finest duelist the Order has ever seen. Unlike most, I saw how Jedi Skywalker interacted with the Younglings that night. They look up to him. And he was fiercely protective of them. While also being approachable to them. I can think of no one better to take up the post of Battlemaster of the Order."

"While I ordinarily would agree with making Skywalker Battlemaster, until we settle the issue of his breaking the Code, I must vote no. He is a fine duelist and, until recently, I thought a fine Jedi. I may reconsider once we have spoken to him, but I must hear from him first," was Plo Koon's opinion.

That left Obi-wan as the deciding vote. "I trust Anakin with my life. We've all seen how he has trained Ahsoka. For being so young, she is already better with a lightsaber than most of the Order. Despite his breaking of the Code, he is still at heart a Jedi. I vote yes."

"Settled, it is," stated Master Yoda. "Speak to Young Skywalker we will. Explain he will his breaking the Code. If satisfied we are with his response, Battlemaster he will become."

The other 5 members of the Council nodded their assent at the compromise. "Three seats left to fill,we do. Master Koon, have a suggestion, do you?" prompted Yoda.

"Yes, I do. What about Master J'oopi She'?" asked Plo Koon.

"I'm well acquainted with Master She'," said Master Fisto. "I believe this is a sound choice."

The rest of the Council quickly agreed. That brought their numbers to 10. Two more to go. The last two were settled rather quickly actually. The Force was heard much more clearly here on Tython and the Council Masters heeded its direction. Masters Va Zhurro and Tera Sinube would be offered seats on the Council as well. With that settled, Yoda decided it would be best to settle the issue with Skywalker as well and called him to the Council Chamber. When he arrived, he had Ahsoka and Padme with him.

"Masters," he said with a slight bow. "I'm aware of what you wish to discuss. I normally would have come alone, but as this effects more than just myself, it would be selfish of me not to include the two other people it affects."

"Unorthodox, this may be. But wise, it is," said Master Yoda.

"Thank you, Master. Before we begin, Padawan Tano has asked to be reinstated into the Jedi Order. I would ask the Council to grant this request."

"This, I think, requires no discussion. Welcome Home Padawan Tano," declared Obi-wan. There were nods and muttered assent from around the room at this.

Swallowing deeply, Anakin launched into his explanation of what he had done and why. At the end, he simply looked at the Council and stated, "I'm not asking for your forgiveness, or your understanding. I'm not making an excuse for anything I've done. Some things, I wish I could take back, do differently. Some things," looking lovingly at Padme, "I would do again in a heartbeat. I will accept whatever punishment the Council decides on. I've done much which makes me unworthy of the title of Jedi. And I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life."

"Jedi Skywalker, I'm not sure I can condone your breaking of the Code. You've formed a very large attachment and married. Attachment has been forbidden for over a thousand years," stated Shaak Ti.

"But the Jedi have made exceptions in the past," interjected Ki-Adi-Mundi. "Look at myself. Due to the low birth rate of Cereans, the Council has allowed me to have two wives. Having an attachment to them has not stopped me from performing my duty as a Jedi. It has not prevented Skywalker either. Don't forget, Anakin came to us late in life. He had already formed attachments before he became a Jedi. Perhaps it was wrong of us to try and make him forsake them. It was certainly wrong of us to not go to the aid of his mother. For that grievous error, Anakin, I, the Council and the Order as a whole, must beg your forgiveness."

Somewhat stunned by the that frank admission from Master Mundi, Anakin could only nod and mutter something about how an apology wasn't needed.

"Think you Skywalker is the only Jedi to have ever hidden a marriage? If expelled from the Order we did all who secretly married, expelled would be many Masters." Laughing, Yoda continued, "An exception for Young Skywalker I propose. Because of his childhood, his marriage, allowed it should be."

Masters Koon and Ti, while not entirely comfortable with it, relented and agreed that Anakin would be allowed to remain a Jedi and maintain his marriage. Surprisingly, it was Obi-wan who raised an objection.

"Anakin, I have to ask. What's to stop you from falling to the Dark Side because of your attachments? By your own admission, you acted in anger after the death of your mother. You also freely admitted that had you not spoken to Master Yoda about your vision of Padme dying, you would have been willing to do anything to save her. Including if that meant becoming the very thing you had sworn to destroy. What's to stop you from falling in the future?"

Anakin was definitely surprised that Obi-wan was the one to bring this up. Though, if he actually thought about it, Obi-wan _was_ a bit of a traditionalist. He was surprised to find that the question didn't anger him. And it _definitely_ would have just the week before. He knew he still had a long way to go, but he was pleased with his progress so far. Oh, stang! He hadn't answered yet. Better do that.

"Master, the future is always in motion. That's something that everyone of us is taught as children. I can't say for sure that nothing could ever sway me. I don't think any of us can. What I can say, is that Padme's love for me, and our unborn children, kept me from making the biggest mistake of my life. I realize how close I was to the cliff. She pulled me back. I'm not, I'm not saying that because of that, I'm immune or that I can be a perfect Jedi now. But I believe it's because of her that I can at least be the Jedi I'm supposed to be."

Stroking his beard, Obi-wan smiled at Anakin. "That, my young apprentice, is what I needed to hear you say. You've come a long way Anakin."

"Agreed the Council is, Young Skywalker. Your marriage it will endorse. And many happy years do I wish for you two. Brings me to another point this does. Confer upon you the rank of Jedi Master, the Council does. Ask you to take the post of Jedi Battlemaster, we do," Yoda said.Anakin was completely taken aback by this. He had entered the Council Chambers expecting to be censured, not named Battlemaster of the Order. Wait. What about Master Dralig? "Masters, I, I don't know what to say. I'm not sure I'm entirely worthy of being a Jedi Master. What about Master Dralig? Why am I being asked to replace him?"

"Asked to take a seat on the Council will Master Dralig be. No one better than you could we think of to take his place. By your actions, proven you have that worthy you are to be a Jedi Master." With that, the 6 members of the Council stood, ignited their lightsabers and appointed Anakin a Jedi Master.

Padme was absolutely beaming at Anakin. She was so proud of him. Becoming a Jedi Master meant everything to him. It came as a shock to find every Jedi in the room looking at her with a bit an odd look on their faces. Or, what she thought was an odd look. It was hard to read Master Koon's face behind his breath mask.

"Senator," asked Master Fisto, "are you aware of what you're doing right now? Your emotions are projecting through the Force. Strongly, I might add. While everyone does this to some degree, yours come across more as an influence."

"Oh! Master Secura mentioned this earlier to me. I don't understand it. I'm not even Force Sensitive. But she claimed that I felt like a Force User to her. How is that even possible?" Padme asked.

Apparently, the 8 Jedi in the room all had the same idea at the same time, because as if on cue, they all closed their eyes and appeared to concentrate. When they opened them again, they all had a surprised look on their faces. Anakin most of all. Every Jedi in the room shared a look as if to say, "What _else_ have we not noticed lately?"

"Correct Master Secura is," proclaimed Yoda. "Young Skywalker, felt like this before, your wife, has she?"

"No, Master, never. I can't explain it."

"Hmmmmm, an idea I have. Heard of this once before I have. When a Padawan I was, discovered a holocron that discussed this I did. Believe I do that two things have happened. Strong with the Force will your children be. Like their Father, they will be. Their strength, mixed with yours it has. Tython, the second is. Strong with the Force is this world. Amplify your connection to the Force it does. Or so the records say. Believe I do, that while on Tython you remain, strong with the Force will you be. Time only will tell if permanent this is. Train you, I will to shield your thoughts from others."

Padme was just a bit shocked by this. How could she suddenly be even remotely Force Sensitive? This wasn't possible. On the other hand, maybe if she paid attention enough, she'd be able to pay back Anakin for all those times he showed off before. Shaking herself out of her ruminations, she finally answered Master Yoda. "Of Course, Master Jedi. I'd be grateful for any help I can get."

Two days later, Master Yoda found his confirmation of his theory. As a child, Padme had been tested for Force Sensitivity. While her midiclorian count was some four times higher than the average human's, with a count of over 4,000, that wasn't high enough to become a Jedi. As a general rule, a count of 7,000 was considered the minimum for a being to feel the Force strongly enough and be able to manipulate it with any skill or success. Testing her again showed that her count had doubled. In fact, after testing every Jedi on Tython, _all_ their counts had gone up. Skywalker's count, normally over 20,000 was now closer to 40,000. His own had gone from 18,000 to over 30,000. The rumors of Tython amplifying a Jedi's connection with the Force were now dramatically confirmed. While he doubted that any of them would retain their drastically higher counts once they left Tython, it was something to monitor. In the meantime, he would undertake to provide Padme some basic training in the Force. Particularly how to shield herself and her thoughts. He doubted Anakin would thank him for that one.


	9. Chapter 9: New Procedures

Bail had no idea organizing opposition to Palpatine could be so difficult. Surely _some_ Senators would be willing to stand up to him. But, alas, he was having no luck. Perhaps he should try something else. Perhaps instead of outright opposition (which was proving impossible) he should focus on Senators who hold similar ideals to his when it comes to concepts such as liberty and freedom. Not _directly_ oppose Palpatine, but indirectly build a coalition that could one day stand up to him. With the proper conditioning. That could work. This was going to take years. He was going to need the Jedi to help show some of the more timid Senators that Palpatine _could_ be fought. He needed to get a message to the Jedi.

On Tython, Yoda and the rest of the High Council were debating the changes that Yoda felt were necessary. The biggest being that the Jedi could no longer be used as an instrument of state by the Republic (when it was reestablished). They would continue to advise and provide mediation, and even step in more forcefully when the Council felt it was warranted. But they would no longer do the Republic's bidding simply because the Republic said so. By Obi-wan's count, they were evenly split on this issue. Half the Council supported the idea, as being made puppets of the Senate is what got them into their current situation. The other half felt it was their duty to support the Republic no matter what.

Obi-wan was of the later point of view himself. The Jedi had served the Republic since its founding. While the Republic certainly had its issues, particularly at the end, it had still been a force for good in the Galaxy for a long time. The Jedi owed it to the Republic to support it. Especially since the Republic supported them. But as he listened to Yoda's reasoning more, he found himself slowly being swayed. The Jedi could still support the Republic. But only when it would not compromise their standards. Yoda's last point was what was really driving it home for him: That if the Republic could only rely on Jedi support when the Order agreed with their actions, then perhaps the Republic would begin to put more thought into what they were doing and more of their actions would be in line with the Order's principles. By the time they broke for their midday meal, the majority of the Council agreed with Yoda. Once the Republic was reestablished, the Jedi would let the Force and their own morals guide them, not be so controlled by the Senate. Unfortunately, this was the _least_ contentious change that Yoda proposed.

The second major change Yoda wanted to make would require all Jedi to train a Padawan. After becoming a Jedi Knight, the Knight was to spend 3 years gaining field experience, working as a Jedi and then would be expected to take a Padawan. Even Yoda acknowledged that this was an extreme change for the Order, as previously, it was entirely up to the individual Jedi to decide whether or not to take an apprentice. Most of the Masters argued that being forced to train a Padawan could negatively impact how that Padawan was trained. To that argument, Yoda pointed to Anakin's training of Ahsoka. Anakin had not wanted a Padawan in the slightest. Had even been resentful of being forced into it. Yet now, the two were nearly inseparable to the point that the Anakin had nearly resigned from the Order when the Council had thrown Ahsoka out. The arguments over this change would last days before a resolution was reached. In the end, the Council agreed to implement the changes. Mainly due to the fact that their numbers had been so severely depleted. However, the Masters that were opposed did force one concession from Yoda. That the policy would be reevaluated once the Order's numbers had recovered and their was no longer such a pressing need.

The final major change that was suggested was to alter the Jedi's policy on attachment. The uproar this caused was nearly enough to rock the Temple off its foundations. Surprisingly, the first to speak in support of this change was Jocasta Nu. As Jedi Librarian, she had studied the history of the Order in more depth than just about anyone. She wisely brought out that the prohibition on attachment was, in the grand scheme of things, relatively recent. Since the founding of the Order 25,000 years ago, the Jedi had only outright prohibited attachment in the last 3,000 or so. Prior to this, while it was generally discouraged, Jedi were allowed attachments. And in many cases, those attachments, when properly formed and nurtured, kept a Jedi in the light. Master Koon argued just the opposite. That allowing a Jedi attachments was just as likely to cause them to fall. It would be months before any agreement would be reached on this.

Anakin had never dreamed that being the Battlemaster of the Jedi Order could ever be so difficult. He truly began to wonder how Master Dralig had managed it all these years. Not only was he instructing Younglings and Initiates in the basics of lightsaber use and combat, but he was also critiquing and refining the styles of some of the most prominent Masters in the Order. While Anakin could easily see and correct faults in just about anyone's use of a lightsaber, he was finding that telling a High Council member that their use of the blade was little short of disgraceful required a level of tact that he wasn't sure he possessed. Jocasta Nu may be one of the wisest Jedi alive, and certainly one of the most knowledgeable about the history of the Order, but her skills with a lightsaber were little better than a new Padawan's. In fact, he was fairly certain that Sors, the child that had impressed him with his courage that night at the Temple, could hold her off for quite some time, if not actually beat her. And he was _eight_!

If he could have, he would have just rationalized it away with the fact that, as Head Librarian on the Order, Master Nu would likely never be called on to engage in lightsaber combat again. Unfortunately, Master Yoda had made that impossible. After appointing Anakin to be Battlemaster, Yoda had pulled him aside and told him in no uncertain terms that he wanted every Jedi brought up to snuff when it came to using a lightsaber. They couldn't count on the Sith never finding them. Or the fact that there was no telling who might be needed to go on a mission in the future. Yoda had also made it clear that any member of the Service Corps that had aged out was to be retrained in wielding a lightsaber as well. Since most of them hadn't so much as touched a lightsaber in years, he was having to start all over again with the very basics. In truth, he doubted many would become very adept at it, but he was determined to do his best. Why Master Yoda wanted to make this drastic change, he wasn't really sure. But he would see to it.

And on top of all of that, he was also having to start Ahsoka's training again. Fortunately, on that score, she hadn't really forgotten anything and their Master-Padawan bond had never truly broken. One meditation session later and it was fully repaired. However, with the Jedi now being hunted throughout known space, training a Padawan presented an interesting dilemma. How were they supposed to get experience dealing with other beings and performing the duties of a Jedi? Oh, he could certainly help her to develop her abilities to their full potential, but without real world experience, she (and every other Padawan) would only be half trained. This was something that every Jedi with a Padawan was trying to figure out and Anakin had had a number of conversations with otherJedi about it. So far, no one had been able to come up with a satisfactory answer.

Turning his mind back to Master Nu, he gave a sigh of frustration. He really had no clue how to approach the subject with her. Recommending which of the seven forms would best suite a Youngling or Padawan? Easy. Helping an Initiate use a lightsaber for the very first time? No problem. But this? As much as he hated to add another burden to him, Anakin decided that he would have to talk to Obi-wan about it. Time to put his reputation as The Negotiator to the test.

As his ship dropped out of hyperspace and the planet below came into view, Darth Sidious gave a small, satisfied smile.This is where he would rebuild the Sith Order. Darth Bane's Rule of Two would be changed. Only two would hold the title of "Darth." Only one true apprentice would the Master have. But many more Sith would there be. He would ensure that his new Empire was ready for the Jedi. His first "class" was locked up in the star destroyer's brig. Six captured Jedi. Two Knights and four Padawans. He doubted any would be suitable to be his true apprentice, but they would be useful nonetheless. He was already planning just how to turn them. Confining them on Korriban was just the start. The planet was steeped in the Dark Side. And the mental torture that he would subject them to would ensure that they broke just how he wanted them to. He was going to enjoy this.

Padme had never so tired before in her life. She had been training under Master Yoda for only 3 days, and already it felt like she was in a waking coma. How in the world did the Jedi tolerate this?

"I believe it's called Stockholm Syndrome," she heard from behind her. Turning to look, her face lit up.

"Ani!" Running to him, she embraced him tightly. Looking up at him she said, "Will you stop listening in on the conversations in my head?" Laughing, she continued, "But seriously, how did you or any of the Jedi manage to put up with this? I never knew Yoda could be such a tough task master!"

Laughing alone with her, Anakin couldn't help but commiserate. "You think this is bad? You should have seen him with me when I first came to the Temple! You're only learning basic shielding techniques. I had to catch up on nine _years_ of Jedi instruction. My shins were bruised for a solid year from his gimmer stick. Don't let that kindly, mischievous exterior fool you. When it comes to training, Master Yoda does not cut corners."

"Master Skywalker, telling tales are you, hmmm?" Yoda said from behind them.

Blushing furiously, Anakin turned around. "Sorry Master. Just trying to help Padme out and pick her up a bit."

"Humph. Undermining me, more like. An eye on you I will keep, Young Skywalker. Undue all my hard work you will."

Chuckling slightly, all Anakin could do was reply, "Yes, Master." Turning to leave and head back to the sparing room, he whispered to Padme just loud enough for Yoda to hear, "Careful Angel, that gimmer stick of his packs a punch." 5 seconds later, Anakin experienced that gimmer stick across his shins again.

Realizing that Anakin had just baited him, Yoda hurriedly prodded the young Jedi Master out of the room. "Out, out! Work we have to do here. Time for games we do not." Looking at Padme, he said to her, "Always the prankster, that one. Recall I cannot the number of times havoc he caused in the Temple with his games. Tell you, has he about what he did to one of the cleaning droids?" At this Yoda let out a laugh. "Ask him about that, you should. Three weeks he spent on kitchen detail for that one. But now, to your training we will see." Settling in on the Meditation mat, they began.

Quinlan Vos looked down on the planet of Kamino. The Council had sent him here to do some digging. While they now knew that Count Dooku had ordered the Clones in the first place or, rather, that he had influenced Master Sifo Dyas to order them, the Order needed something more. He had been asked to infiltrate Tipoca City and "adjust" the Clones training so that they weren't quite so malleable. In reality, this meant tampering with the Inhibitor Chips so that they would be essentially worthless and modifying their standing orders. For this mission he had some unexpected help. Captain Rex had assigned a dozen of his men to go with him. As a Kiffar, he'd stand out like a sore thumb down there. But the 501st could blend right in. They'd conduct the reconnaissance for him, then smuggle him in to do the actual dirty work. This was a mission he looked forward to. Heading towards the planet's surface, it was time to begin.


	10. Chapter 10: Family

Anakin was a nervous wreck. Padme had gone into labor nearly 4 hours ago. While the healers had repeatedly assured him that everything was alright, that nothing was wrong, that both Padme and the babies (and hadn't _that_ been a shock when Padme told him they were having twins) were ok, he was still not doing well. He'd been able to push the memory of his vision to the back of his mind since that night, but now that it was actually time, it was front and center in his thoughts. No matter how much he tried telling himself that he hadn't had the vision since everything had changed, that that probably meant that the future had changed, he still couldn't shake off the feeling of terror. He tried letting it go into the Force, but was only partially successful. The fact that this was the first time in several thousand years that a serving Jedi was having a child also wasn't helping.

Padme and the Healers had tried to convince him to wait outside, at least until she was farther along, but he wasn't going to let Padme out of his sight until both babies were born and healthy. When he had made that declaration, Padme just rolled her eyes and accepted the inevitable. Master Che, on the other hand, was a bit more hard nosed. And Anakin felt his inner darkness start to take hold. Only Padme squeezing his hand, hard, pulled him back. He took a deep breath, centered himself (as much as he could anyway) and as politely as he could, informed Master Che exactly where she could stick her opinion. That earned him whack across the shins from Master Yoda who happened to be passing by at the moment and a stern lecture about his manners. Anakin really didn't care.

6 hours later, Luke and Leia entered the Galaxy, yelling and screaming for all they were worth. Holding them in his arms, Anakin knew, that they were the most important people in his life. And he knew, with out a shadow of a doubt in his mind, that he would _never_ approach the Dark Side ever again. These two bundles in his arms _radiated_ light. Just from holding them, he could feel how immensely strong in the Force they were. And that strength was pure, with absolutely no darkness within it. And Anakin would be _damned_ if he would be the one to bring it into their lives.

Sitting in the room with Padme, Anakin felt a sense of contentment and happiness that was unlike anything else he had ever felt before. Smiling down at his wife and children as they slept, he knew that nothing could ever get better than this. How could he have ever even considered falling? Now that Palpatine was no longer playing with his head, everything seemed so crystal clear to him. How couldn't he have ever noticed what he was doing? Thank the Force that he had a rare moment of wisdom and spoke to Yoda about his vision. He nearly physically shuddered at what might have been otherwise. From beside him, he heard a quiet, "Hey."

Smiling at Padme, Anakin said to her, "Hi Angel. How are you?"

"I'm ok. Tired. How are you Dad?"

Grinning at her, "I'm great Mom." Laughing, "These two little bundles of joy are absolutely perfect."

Smiling her husband, "Ani, what happens now? I mean, with them?"

"We take the best care of them that we can. I have to talk to Obi-wan about how we're gonna handle them as initiates. They're immensely strong in the Force."

"But we're not going to be forbidden from seeing them, right?"

"No, you won't," she heard from the door, as Obi-wan entered the room. "The Council has already discussed it. With the exception we made for Anakin, it was decided that we couldn't exactly stop you from raising your children. Privately, we're reviewing the entire policy on attachment."

"See? What did I tell you Angel?" Anakin said toPadme.

Sitting up in the bed, Padme looked at Obi-wan, "Want to hold one?"

"I do."

Anakin handed him Leia and showed Obi-wan how to hold her. For Anakin, it was actually humorous to see Obi-wan like this. Obi-wan hadn't been to a Crèche in nearly 20 years. "Are you ok over there, Uncle Obi-wan?" he asked.

Looking up with a start, "Uncle?"

At this, Anakin couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. Of course, this woke up both Luke and Leia who promptly started to cry. Padme motioned for them both to be handed to her so she could feed them and Anakin and Obi-wan stepped outside after handing them to her.

"Obi-wan, you're my brother. You've always been my brother. I know the Order as a whole may not agree, but, you are. I know I wasn't the best student, I was arrogant and headstrong. And I never listened. But I wanted you to know, what you taught me, it did sink in. It took me awhile, but it did. And I want you know that, as far as I'm concerned, you're my brother. Till the day we die."

"Anakin, you're a fine Jedi. And I am very proud of you. More proud than I probably should be. Over the last few weeks, you've grown immensely. You've proven yourself to be the finest man I know. You've been my brother too, you know. And you always will be." Just as he finished saying that, Anakin grabbed him and wrapped him up in a big hug.

"So, have you decided on who your next Padawan is going to be yet?" teased Anakin. Obi-wan could only role his eyes as it had become well known that he had tried, and failed, to convince the Council that training Anakin was equivalent to training multiple Padawans, and therefore he should be exempt from the new policy.

Yoda's reply pretty much ended that argument, "If take a new Padawan I have to, take a Padawan as well do you."

On Kamino, Fox, CT-0000/1010 opened the crate he and his men had just brought in. "Have a good trip, General?" He asked Quinlan Voss.

"Fox, you know damn well I didn't. I get it, you're tired of the war. But did you have to hit _every_ door on the way in here to show me your displeasure?" asked Voss.

"Did I have to, sir? No, Sir, I did not. But I did want to."

"I figured as much. Tell you what, why don't we just get our jobs done so we can get out of here without having to fight, huh?"

"Sounds like a plan, Sir." Pulling up a schematic of the facility, he highlighted a portion of it. "Here, sir. This is where the Inhibitor Chips are stored and programed before implantation. The problem is, each chip is inspected before and after programing and again before implantation. Any chips that are defective are discarded. So how do we disable these kriffing things without the Aiwha-bait finding out?"

"We don't. We always figured that the Kaminoans would be obsessive about checking the chips. We've studied the ones they put in you." Hearing that Fox absentmindedly rubbed where his chip had been removed "What we're going to do is, we're going to change how they work. Instead of them forcing obedience, we're basically going to render them inert. When they're tested, they'll show up as in perfect condition with all the correct data and while hooked up to the computer, they'll show fully functional.But once they're implanted, they won't do a damn thing."

"Very good Sir. Lets get to it. But you can't exactly walk around here in your robes. You'd be gunned down in seconds. Put on this armor. You're close enough to the same size I don't think anyone will notice. At least not until after we're done. Hopefully."

"Right. Lets get going." Voss hurriedly got into his "borrowed" armor and he and the men with him quickly made their way to the chip storage area. Fortunately Fox was very good and had managed to forge a set of orders for he and his men to take over guard detail. So at least he'd have a little warning if anyone approached. Quinlan was taken aback by the sheer number of chips in the room. Thank the Force he had come prepared. An hour later and it was done. Every chip had been modified and the storage racks rigged to modify every chip that was placed in them with a burst into each chip. "One down, one to go. Time to go play with the standing Orders."

This part was far easier. One sliced terminal later, and the standing orders were changed. The worst of the orders, if Palpatine ever tried to issue them, would result in the Clones believing that Palpatine had been declared unfit and was to be removed from office with lethal force. That completed, Quinlan, Fox, and the dozen other men with them slipped back out the way they had come in and headed for Kashyyyk. He had to get his wife and son safely to Tython before the Empire found them.

For Nejaa Halcyon, the last few weeks had been exceedingly trying. First, the warning from Master Yoda. Then hearing Palpatine's speech to the Senate. Now he was being hunted by the Clones _and_ planetary security. The one thing he was determined to do, however, was to get to his wife and son. Only then would he head to Tython. Unfortunately, that was proving more difficult to do than he'd expected. In the end, he found that actually landing on Corellia was just too difficult and he had resorted to comming his friend Rostek Horn. Rostek promised to get his wife and child safely off planet and to meet up with him after. All he could do now is wait.

After what seemed like years, but was in reality only a few hours, Nejaa's comm went off. It was Rostek. "I've got them. We'll be at the rendezvous in 15 minutes." A weight immediately lifted from his shoulders.

With a huge sigh of relief he replied, "Thank you Rostek. I owe you." 15 minutes later Nejaa, Scerra and Valin were on their way to Tython. Looking at his wife,he smiled. "Look on the bright side, the Order can't kick me out anymore."

Jedi Explorer Seryana Ky was absolutely _loving_ her job. She had managed to map out the entire Tython system and was now plotting new hyperspace routes into and out of the Deep Core. So far, she had found 3 routes that could be used, though only the first two were really viable. The last one skirted around the edges of four different black holes. A pilot really had to know her stuff to risk that one. Obviously, that one was her favorite. For her, the ExplorCorps had really sunk into her bones. While at first she had been disappointed, and a little angry, no one had chosen her as a Padawan, she now couldn't imagine any other life. She thanked the Force every day for placing her here. Her last jump had brought her to where her charts indicated another planet would be. She was supposed to see if it was capable of supporting life or not. It was. But the planet also reeked of the Dark Side. She could feel how cold it felt from orbit.Deciding to report it to the Council, she headed back to Tython and left Byss behind.


	11. Chapter 11: New Missions

After passing through multiple intermediaries and several cut outs and dead drops, Bail's message finally made it to the Jedi. Most of the Council wanted to act on it immediately. A few, however, suggested patience. For Master Zhurro, his reasoning was simple. Many Jedi were still raw and wounded emotionally. And asking them to reenter the fray, possibly expose themselves to Sidious, may destroy them. Or worse, cause them to fall to the Dark Side and join with their enemy.

Master Yoda was in complete agreement with Va. That was definitely a risk. But where he differed in his opinion, was that not _all_ the Jedi were in such a state that they would be unable to do their duty. Masters Sinube and She' agreed with that reasoning, but still felt that it may be unwise to risk being exposed so soon. The odds of being tracked back to Tython could be very high.

Predictably, Masters Koon, Fisto, Dralig, Mundi and Secura were all in favor of causing as much havoc for Sidious as was possible. Masters Kenobi, Nu, and Ti felt that they should be more circumspect and try to restore the Galaxy's confidence in the Jedi by being more involved with actually helping planets, not just leading strike teams to take out targets. Though they did agree that _some_ targets would have to be hit. If for no other reason than to show that Palpatine wasn't all powerful and that the Jedi could still strike, and strike hard.

After much debate, it was decided that all had valid points of view and that each suggestion had something of value to add to the overall plan. Yoda then proposed that each individual Jedi be evaluated for fitness for field duty, that those who needed more time be granted it, with the worst affected to be assigned duties in the Temple until they felt ready or be offered reassignment to the Service Corps. Those that were fit would be given missions as needed and that played to their strengths. Some would be given strike missions to secure imperial codes and documents, others to disrupt supply shipments, still more to prevent Palpatine from enslaving entire worlds. This last was considered especially important as Bail's message had included a worrying report that Kashyyyk and Ryloth were to be put under Imperial Occupation and their populations enslaved. This, the Jedi Order could not allow.

After much discussion, several missions were agreed upon by the Council pending conferring with the Jedi involved. The first was what to do about Kashyyyk and Ryloth. Master Yoda volunteered to lead the mission to Kashyyyk as he had had good relations with the Wookies previously. It was acknowledged that the Order didn't have the ability to outright defeat the Empire in open battle, but they could use guerilla tactics and make the occupation as costly as possible while saving as many as possible. This would be the plan for both planets. Master Secura would lead the mission to Ryloth. Having decided this, Master Skywalker and Captain Rex were called to the Council Chambers. Master Skywalker in his role as General of the 501st, and Captain Rex as his second in command and a representative of the Clones. Both of their opinions would be required.

Anakin wasn't exactly thrilled with the prospect of guerilla warfare. He had seen more than enough of it during the Clone Wars. Judging by the grimace on Rex's face, his friend felt pretty much the same. Unfortunately, Anakin had to agree that guerilla fighting was their only real option to save as many Wookies and Twi'leks as possible. His concern, was how would the men of the 501st take being asked to possibly fight their brothers. He let Captain Rex answer the Council before saying anything himself.

"Generals, if that's what's required of us, then that's what we'll do. We all knew that this might be a possibility when we left with you," Rex told them. It was only after he finished that Anakin proposed a compromise.

"Masters, I believe I may have a solution that will be best for all involved," Anakin opened. "Instead of simply ordering the men to do this, we ask them. Make any offensive mission strictly voluntary. No member of the 501st is to be forced to fight their brothers. Doing otherwise makes us no better than the Sith. These are men, not slaves. They deserve the right to choose." Finishing his speech, Anakin could feel how grateful Rex was for it.

"Agree with Young Skywalker, I do," Master Yoda said. "Captain, speak to your men you will. Only those who wish it, to Kashyyyk and Ryloth, will go. Any man who does not, no punishment will he face. Left to defend Tython will he be."

"Yes, General. I'll speak to them immediately. And thank you, sir." With that, Rex saluted, turned on his heel and headed to speak to his men.

Anakin, however was asked to stay. The council had a mission for him too. Though it wasn't exactly what he was expecting. The Council wanted him, Padme and Ahsoka to travel to Alderaan and Naboo. To reestablish ties to those planets. A message would be sent to Bail informing him of what was happening so he would expect them. They had two goals with the mission. First and foremost, Padme was to begin forming an alliance that could one day stand up to Palpatine. The second was just as important. Anakin and Ahsoka were to discreetly inquire about any Force Sensitive children on the planets and to try and get them into the Order. Any adults that they found who were Force Sensitive, they were to shield them to keep them from being taken by Palpatine and forced to the Dark Side. In this, they would need Bail's cooperation. Unlike when they could simply enter it into the holonet that the child had been given to the Jedi Order, they would instead have to fake a death certificate for the child so the Empire would never know what had truly become of the child. And to prevent reprisals against their family.

Anakin was slightly concerned with this, since the twins were only about 2 months old and he didn't really like the idea of both him and Padme leaving them at the same time. He mentioned this to the Council, but Obi-wan assured him that _he_ would take personal care of both of them. The snort that came out of Anakin when Obi-wan said that was not exactly dignified, but even some of the other Council members had to hold back a laugh at that declaration. The _look_ Anakin got from Obi-wan after that just added to it.

"Really, Anakin, I don't know what I'm going to do with you," Obi-wan said aloud.

"I'm sure you'll think of something, Master," Anakin replied. "In the meantime, I should inform my Padawan of our mission and also brace myself for my wife's reaction. I doubt she'll be thrilled about both of us leaving at the same time. Though she'll likely also see the need for it."

"Anakin, if it's any consolation, my wives would be just as upset," said Ki-Adi-Mundi. "I've found that keeping your head down and ensuring that she knows this _wasn't_ your idea is the best policy to follow."

"Thank you, Master. I'll keep that in mind."

"May the Force be with you, Young Skywalker," said Master Yoda, in dismissing Anakin.

"And with you, Master."

Anakin was, sadly, right about Padme's reaction. "Not pleased" was putting it extremely mildly. In the end, his only option was to ride it out and try to appeal to her sense of duty and doing what was best for the Republic. This was easier said than done of course. Eventually, she did agree that they couldn't stay hidden forever and would have to begin their work. But she still didn't like it. Of course, when Anakin told her that Obi-wan volunteered to personally watch Luke and Leia, she burst out laughing, Obi-wan's aversion to children being well known. Not that he was ever rude or unkind to them, he just didn't like having to deal with them too much. Anakin had apparently left quite a mark on him in that regard.

"So has Obi-wan finally decided on a new Padawan yet?" Padme asked.

Laughing, Anakin could only shake his head, "I think he's hoping if he puts it off long enough Yoda will just drop it."

"Somehow, I doubt that will happen."

Ahsoka was more excited than she should probably should be she thought. It wasn't like this was her first mission. It honestly shouldn't even be that difficult. Yeah, they'd have to watch out for Stormtroopers, as the Clones had recently been renamed, but that shouldn't be that difficult. Well, as long as Skyguy kept focused on the mission and didn't let himself get sidetracked or caught up in battle fever. On second thought, maybe this was going to be a little more difficult than she thought.

On Korriban, Sidious gloated as the first of the Jedi broke. Maw had always been a selfish individual. And Sidious had used that to his advantage. While he would never make a true Sith Apprentice, he would be extremely useful. Given time, the Boltrunian's hatred could be nurtured into something truly fierce. The fact that Maw had been a Jedi Shadow, committed to rooting out the Dark Side made his fall all the sweeter to Sidious. Soon, the others would fall as well. Once they did, he could turn his attention to finding his new apprentice. In the meantime, Sidious had one other problem to handle. Grievous. The cyborg slime hadn't been with the other Separatist leaders when Tarkin had executed them. His original plan had been for the Jedi to take Grievous out and then record them trying to arrest him. That plan had gone right out the window with the Jedi discovering his true identity. So now the problem was his to deal with. Fortunately, he knew just where the Cyborg was. And he would take great pleasure in personally cutting him down.


	12. Chapter 12: A New Apprentice

In his chambers on Imperial Center, Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, sat deep in meditation. Letting the currents of the Dark Side speak to him while simultaneously imposing his will on them. Forcing them to bend to his will. Compelling the Dark Side to do his bidding. He was searching for his new apprentice. Tearing into the fabric of the Dark Side, looking for that small eddy in the Force that would give away a powerful Force User. He had come across several and discarded them as unworthy. Though still noting where they were as they would make useful additions to his lesser Sith. After hours in meditation, he finally found what he was looking for. With an evil grin, he summoned his Royal Guard and headed for the Unknown Regions.

Entering the system he had seen, Darth Sidious was bathed in the Dark Side. The entire system had been corrupted by the ancient Sith. And he reveled in it. Upon landing on the planet, he was met by a group of men dressed all in black. Knowing they would oppose what he was going to rip from them, Sidious never even spoke. Simply flew into the attack. Flinging Force Lightning at them with one hand while slicing through them with his blood red lightsaber in the other. Weak, pathetic, fools. Followers of a long dead Sith who had been banished because of his ideas. Who had fled in fear rather than stand and face his fate as a true Sith. This fate was well earned. Entering the dark temple that was before him Sidious glided to the chamber he wanted and opened the door. The 15 year old in the center of the room stared at him, fire in its eyes and hurled the Force at him in a wave. Sidious simply grinned at the child's display of rage.

"Child," he said softly. "If you truly wish for power, I alone can give you what you seek. Power beyond your wildest dreams. The ability to crush all those who oppose you, who would dare raise themselves against you. Swear your allegiance to me child, and you shall become Sith."

"You lie. You want my power only to increase yours."

Laughing, Sidious looked at the child, "Gooooood. You have wisdom already young one. Yesssss, I will take your power. You will use what you have to serve me. But in return, you shall know the ways of the Force, the way of the Sith."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then you shall die."

Considering each choice, the child looked up at Sidious and said, "I accept. My Master."

"Gooooood. Come with me, my child."

Leaving the now empty temple, one of Sidious' guards approached and kneeled before him. "My Lord. One of them still lives. What are your orders, my Lord?"

"Bring him to me."

"Yes, my Lord."

Seeing the wounded man, the child with Sidious gasped. "Yes, child. Your father. Strike him down. Show no mercy. And take your place by my side." Having said that, Sidious held out his lightsaber to the child. The child took it in it's hand and, looking at the man that hung between the two Royal Guards, the child hesitated. The child _hated_ this man. The man who had never acknowledged even having a child, heaped just as much, if not more, abuse on the child as the others. Still, the child hesitated.

" _Do it_ ," commanded Sidious, putting the Force behind his command.

With that, the child swung the lightsaber and it's father's head fell to the ground.

"Gooooood, my Apprentice. Very good." Calling his lightsaber back to his hand, he looked at the child again. "What is your name, child?"

"Sariss, my Master."

Sinking deeply into the Dark Side, Sidious let it's currents flow around him and inspire him. When he spoke, it was as if his voice was coming from the very depths of the Force itself, "From this day, you will henceforth be know as Darth Aella, Dark Lord of the Sith."

"Thank you, my Master." With that, Darth Sidious and his new apprentice boarded his shuttle and left Dromund Kaas and the ruins of The Prophets of the Dark Side behind them.

On the other side of the Galaxy, Master Yoda sat deep in meditation as his shuttle hurtled through hyperspace on its way to Kashyyyk. At that moment he was deeply connected to the Force. It was then when he felt a tremor in the very fabric of the Force. Peering at the tremor cautiously, he saw events unfold on a distant planet in the Unknown Regions. Feeling his new Padawan enter the room, he pulled himself out of his meditation and opened his eyes.

"Master, what is it?" asked Caleb Dume.

"Disturbing developments, there are Padawan. A new apprentice does the Emperor have. Inform the Council of this we must."

On Alderaan, Padme Amidala Skywalker sat in a hidden chamber of the Organa palace deep in discussion with Bail. Bail had managed to make a few contacts since changing his strategy. His contacts had all agreed that there were some worrying developments in the New Order. Particularly the restrictions on speech, the press, and assembly. Basic freedoms that were being restricted even more. Padme was truly sorry to see how much the Galaxy had changed in just the few short months since that night at the Temple. Bail had told her a few of the more outspoken Senators he had been cultivating were already talking about ways to challenge Palpatine. Bail had done his best to reign them in, as they weren't ready for open confrontation, but he still needed to show them _something_. That steps were being taken to trip the Empire up as much as possible. On that score at least, Padme came equipped. The Council had authorized her to reveal to Bail what the Order was doing on Ryloth and Kashyyyk and that they had strike missions planned for a dozen different systems, all to hit simultaneously.

Bail was certainly impressed. He had hoped for maybe one or two missions, maybe. Just to show something. This was more than he could have ever dreamed of. When the Jedi decided to act, they didn't mess around. That line of thought then triggered another, less comforting thought. If the Jedi were capable of doing this, why couldn't they have done something like this a long time ago? The concerned look on his face must have given it away, as Anakin Skywalker, who was there with Padme, spoke up.

"Senator, I can feel your confusion through the Force. We weren't able to act like this before because the Sith had clouded the Force. It was something that was only realized around the time I became a Jedi. The Sith had, in essence, reduced our ability to use the Force to guide our actions. That has recently changed. We now are able to feel the Force much more clearly and it is guiding us in everything we do. I know this may not be exactly the answer you're looking for, but that is what has happened."

"No, actually that does help to know," replied Bail. "One of the chief complaints that I've heard about the Jedi was their perceived arrogance and inability to admit when they were at fault. Knowing that the Order is willing to admit when it wasn't able to act in the way it should have will actually help our cause. I think more beings could relate the Jedi if they understood that the Jedi aren't so different from everyday beings."

"For what its worth Senator, the Order agrees with you. That's actually one of the reasons I'm here. We need to reconnect with normal, everyday beings. Let them see that the Jedi are a force for good. Obviously, we need to be covert in our actions, but its somethingwe can do to at least begin to rehabilitate the Order's image after the damage that we did to it during the War."

"You said that's 'one of the reasons.' What are the others?"

"With your permission, my Padawan and I would like to check hospital records for Force Sensitives. We have two reasons for this. First, we'd like to take any children with us back to Tython to train as Jedi. This also protects them as it will keep them out of Palpatine's clutches. Secondly, if there are any adults that are Force Sensitive, we'd like to shield them so that they won't appear to be Force Sensitive should Palpatine or his eventual apprentice come across them."

"I see. You have it, Master Skywalker. Alderaan and House Organa have always supported the Order. And we will continue to do so now in these troubled times. Whatever you need, you have it."

"Thank you Senator. We will need your help with several things. Any Force Sensitives we find, we need to change their records to show that they either were not Force Sensitive and the child was given up for adoption, or that they were Force Sensitive, but died as infants. This is the only way we can protect them and their families."

"Of course, I understand. You'll have my full support Master Jedi."

"The Order is in your debt, Senator." Saying that, Anakin and Ahsoka headed out on their mission while Bail and Padme got to work on theirs.


	13. Chapter 13: Younglings

Padme and Bail had spent the last week working on cultivating their new alliance. So far, they had managed to get a few of the more timid Senators to agree to their coalition by showing them that Padme _wasn't_ dead, that the attack launched on them was ordered by Palpatine and that the Jedi were most certainly not destroyed and were hitting back and hitting back hard at the Empire. This gave those Senators who were worried about reprisals from Palpatine the demonstration they needed to see that he wasn't all powerful. Plus the assurances given by Bail, Padme and the Jedi that they were not calling for open insurrection. At least not yet. The work was tiring, but they had managed to convince nearly 50 Senators to join them.

Ironically, it was the ones calling for open opposition to Palpatine that were the most difficult to convince. While they would certainly be invaluable when the time came to move into the open, that would only be the case if they were still alive then. And the way they were going, Palpatine would have them killed long before then. Getting them to agree to a more deliberate pace and convincing them to tone down their rhetoric was something of a minor victory. All in all, both Padme and Bail were very pleased with what they had accomplished. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Anakin and Ahsoka had been busy as well. In the last week, they had managed to find nearly forty children from three months up to six years that were all Force Sensitive. Fortunately for the Jedi, rumors had begun to circulate of Force Sensitive individuals disappearing on a number of worlds and many of the parents were extremely worried about their children. Each and every family agreed to send their child with Anakin and Ahsoka to be trained. Mainly it was out of concern for their children. But a few recognized Anakin as the Hero with No Fear and imagined their children performing similar feats and practically begged the Jedi to take their child.

They had also found another eighty or so older individuals who were also Force Sensitive and proceeded to shield them to hide their Force Sensitivity. The Jedi were actually very pleased with what they had accomplished in their time on Alderaan. Towards the end of their time on the planet, they also spent time mediating several disputes that had come up. By helping normal, everyday people with their issues and being as approachable as they were, they managed to increase the Order's reputation immeasurably. There was still a great deal of work to do, but it was good beginning and something they could be proud of.

On the ship heading to Naboo, Anakin and Ahsoka were sitting with the children they had gathered and were beginning their basic training. Helping them to touch the Force for the first time. For both of them, seeing the children's faces light up as they felt that first exhilarating touch of the Light was more fulfilling than anything either of them could imagine. It also brought back fond memories of when they first consciously touched the Force. Even for Padme, who had barely touched the Force, it brought a warm feeling to her seeing them. This trip had also answered some questions about her Force Sensitivity. While she could still feel the Force, it had slowly receded into the background till it was just a whisper for her. Still, this was more than she had ever felt before going to Tython. Or, maybe she just knew what to listen for now. Either way, she was pleased with it.

Upon landing on Naboo, Anakin and Ahsoka quietly spirited the Children into a safe house that was set up by the Queen, who was a close friend of Padme. It had been decided while they were on Alderaan to send a message to Tython asking for several additional Jedi to come to Naboo to help them with the Younglings. The Council had responded that they would send three Knights with their Padawans. Knights Huulik, Zubain Ankonori and Nuhj along with their Padawans, Whie Malreaux, Bene and Kyr Zzarn arrived on Naboo shortly after Padme and Anakin. They were tasked mainly with watching over the children as they didn't want their presence to become too widely known.They had already pushed their luck on Alderaan and had no desire to push it farther.

Anakin and Padme met quietly with the Queen to build more and stronger ties with Naboo and expand their alliance. Like he did on Alderaan, Anakin gave what could best be described as the Order's Mea Culpa to the Queen for her to relay to those she trusted. She could use it to show that the Jedi knew where they had failed, acknowledged their failure and swore to correct it. He likewise requested permission to look for Force Sensitive children and adults on the planet, which was given after brief consideration by the Queen.

As they did on Alderaan, the Jedi scoured hospital records and used the Force to find children who were suitable. They ended up finding twenty-five such children. Of these, twenty of their families consented to their being given to the Jedi. Of course, Anakin made sure to alter the records of all twenty-five children and to shield those that stayed with their families. They also found a number of adults that they shielded as well. Though not as successful as their mission to Alderaan (Naboo had never been particularly known for Force Adepts), Anakin and Ahsoka were still quite happy with the results. They were bringing back sixty new Younglings to the Temple to train as Jedi. Their only concern was making sure the Empire didn't find out about it.

"I'm _really_ not comfortable with leaving the families behind like this Master," Ahsoka said once they had returned to their safe house.

"I agree with you Snips. I don't like it either," Anakin told her. "But until the Council says otherwise, we don't really have any other option. Maybe we can speak to the Council when we get back. See if there's anyway we can take their families with us."

"Good. I really think we should."

"Ok. You're so sure this is the right thing to do, convince me."

"What?"

"You heard me. Convince me." Calling over the three Knights with their Padawans, Anakin looked at Ahsoka. "Pretend we're the Council. You have to convince us that taking the families with us is the right thing to do. What would you say to make your case?"

Gulping, Ahsoka launched into her arguments. "Well, first off, leaving the families behind allows the Empire to exact reprisals against them."

"But shouldn't our changing of the records prevent that?" asked Zubain Ankonori.

"In theory, yes. But _only_ if no one notices that the records have been changed and _only_ if the families never say anything about their children being taken by the Jedi, even accidentally. This is a government ruled by the Sith. I doubt due process of law will be very important to them."

"A valid point," responded Huulik. "But I still believe the measures we are taking will be effective in that regard."

"What of their neighbors, though? Surely some of them will notice that the children the family next door had are suddenly gone. I doubt they will buy the 'we gave them up for adoption' bit. Not to mention, what if one of them saw us take them? It doesn't take a hyperspace motivator designer to know what's going on. One message to an Imperial patrol, and Stormtroopers will descend on that family like a ton of durasteel."

"Now, that, is a good argument to make Padawan Tano."

"What of the prohibition on attachment?" asked Nuhj. "Master Skywalker's exception not withstanding, attachment is still prohibited by the Order."

"That is true. But this is a unique situation. What kind of beings would we be if we allowed innocent beings to be tortured or killed simply because Jedi are not supposed to have attachments?" Growing slightly heated at this, Ahsoka continued, "It was by being that cold in the first place that got us into this mess to begin with."

"Padawan," said Anakin. "While you may be right about that, that is most definitely _not_ an argument Iwould suggest you put before the Council. No matter how accurate it is."

"I'm sorry Master."

"Understand, I'm not trying to censor you. But there is a time and place to make that argument. And while you're trying to convince the Council to do something is neither." Unable to maintain his stern look any longer, Anakin's face breaks in to a grin, "though I would like to see the looks on their faces if you _did_ tell them that."

Grinning back at her Master, Ahsoka replied, "I understand, Master."

"PadawanTano," said Knight Ankonori. "I would like you to elaborate on why you feel the restriction on attachments should be loosened. This has been a tenet of our Order for thousands of years."

"Yes it has. But for thousands of years before that, it was not. I'm not trying to argue that the restriction should be done away with permanently. But considering the circumstances we find ourselves in, and the extreme danger that the families of Force Sensitive children could find _themselves_ in, I strongly believe it is our duty as Jedi that we should do more for the families than simply change a few records on the holonet. We're supposed to be the Galaxy's protectors and Keepers of the Peace. How are we either of those things if we let these families suffer just because their children are Jedi?"

"That was very well said Snips," Anakin told her as he beamed at her. To all those in the room, it was very obvious he was extremely proud of his Padawan.

Leaning over next to Anakin, Huulik asked him, "Remind me again, why is she still a Padawan?"

Laughing Anakin could only shrug his shoulders and tell him, "Beats me."

Ahsoka could only smile widely at the praise she was receiving. She did wonder sometimes _why_ she was still a Padawan, when Master Koon had all but told her she was worthy of being a Jedi Knight before. But, she _did_ like working with Anakin. So there was that. There were definitely things worse than being the Chosen One's Padawan.

Anakin, as head of the mock Council, called for a vote. It was unanimous. Every Jedi present felt that they should get the families out of harms way as well. Anakin, Huulik, Ahsoka and Bene all wished they could do it right away. Even discussed what options they would have if they did decide to. In the end though, it was decided to report the matter to the Council and try to sway them. There really wasn't anywhere on Tython to house that many people anyway.

"You know," said Anakin, thinking out loud. "I've been thinking. The older children that we've found and the adults. What if, instead of training them to be Jedi Knights, we train them to serve in the Service Corps? The Corps are always complaining, or rather, they have been complaining, that they aren't getting enough personal to fulfill their mission. This would seem to be an ideal way to swell the Service Corps while ensuring the ranks of the Knights grow as well." Looking at the other seven Jedi present he continued, "I want your opinions."

Judging by the shocked and somewhat surprised feelings Anakin was getting through the Force from the other Jedi, he figured their reaction was much like his when the idea had popped into his head: why hasn't anybody ever thought of this before? The discussion that followed confirmed it.

Padme's time on Naboo had been every bit as productive as the Jedi's. Old contacts had been remade, new contacts had been established. A number of intelligence resources had been secured. Not because anybody doubted what Bail was telling them, but because it was _always_ a good idea to be able to independently verify what you're being told. Just in case someone decided to stage a leak and set a trap. While Anakin and Obi-wan were _big_ fans of springing traps that had been laid for them, she was a bit more circumspect on the issue. On the other hand, she couldn't use a lightsaber like they could, so that probably had something to do with it.

The one downside to her trip to Naboo was that it had been made in secret. No one outside of the Queen, Captain Panaka and a handful of very trusted people even knew she was there. She couldn't even see her family. And it really pained her to know that they believed she was dead. Oh, she agreed with the reasoning behind it. It was _definitely_ safer for them this way than if they thought she was still alive. She wouldn't put it past Palpatine to use them to get to her or Anakin, or their children. The thought of Luke and Leia brought a smile to her face. If she really concentrated, she could almost imagine that she could feel them connected to her in the back of her mind. Maybe this increased Force Sensitivity thing wasn't all bad after all.

The day they left to head back to Tython, Padme, Anakin and the three Knights were saying goodbye to the Queen when a messenger arrived. Judging by the look on the messenger's face, it was bad news. Tensing for the worst, the Jedi were, shamefully, relieved to learn that it had nothing to do with them. Rather, it was official notification to the Queen that the Senator from Naboo, Jar Jar Binks, had been accidentally killed when he tripped over a mouse droid and was electrocuted when he landed in an open electrical circuit that was being worked on at the time. Expressing their sympathies and regretful that they would not be able to stay they were about to leave when the Queen informed them of the rest of the message.

"Due to Senator Binks being from his Excellency's home world, His Royal Highness the Emperor will be in attendance at the State Funeral."


	14. Chapter 14: Striking Back

On the shuttle heading for Naboo, Sidious sat immersed in the Dark Side of the Force. He was pleased with his new apprentice. Darth Aella had arranged that simple,naïve fool Binks "accident" with precision. And no one would ever be the wiser. A small push with the Force, and he had his excuse to go to Naboo. Sate Pestage and Mas Amedda had made sure the news was spread far and wide. They had also made it known that the funeral was to be a quiet affair, no great crowds, no masses of Stormtroopers. A perfect opportunity for the Jedi to strike. Or so it would seem.

He had put his plan in motion when it was reported that there was a possible sighting of the Jedi on Alderaan. What's more, the report indicated that it was Anakin Skywalker who was seen. The boy never could keep a low profile. Neither could Amidala. A separate report had come in from one of his spies in House Organa. The man could have sworn he heard Bail and Padme talking together. The spy felt that it was likely one of Amidala's numerous body doubles, since she was obviously dead, but had forwarded it in the belief that Alderaan and Naboo may be planning an insurrection. Unlike the spy, Sidious knew very well that Amidala was still alive. And if she was meeting with Bail, she would also be meeting with the Naboo. The opportunity was just too good to pass up.

Though he had long since given up hope of turning Skywalker to the Dark Side, Sidious had no intention of allowing the boy to reach his full potential with the Jedi. He had to strike, and strike now. Removing what would be the galaxy's most powerful Force user would deal a tremendous blow to the Jedi. He had no doubt in his mind that Skywalker would try and stop him. But what Skywalker didn't know is that he would not be facing Sidious alone.

"The Emperor is _what_?!" asked Anakin?

"The Emperor is coming to Naboo. Now. He is already on his way. His shuttle will be landing here in less than an hour. He has ordered all ship's grounded until after his departure," the Queen informed them.

Looking at Padme, Anakin told her, "I knew we pushed it on Alderaan. My fault."

"It's ok, we'll figure it out," Padme said. "Your Majesty, is it possible to delay sending that order to our spaceport till we depart?"

"I'm afraid not. The Emperor had the order transmitted directly to every spaceport on Naboo," the Queen told her.

"Stang. Ok. Huulik, Nuhj, Zubain. We need to figure out a way to get out of here before Sidious gets here," Anakin told the other Knights.

"Hold on Anakin," Huulik said. "There are eight of us. And you're the Battlemaster of the Order. This is a perfect time to strike! When will we ever get odds this good again?"

"I agree Master Skywalker," said Zubain. "We have an opportunity here to wipe out the Sith once and for all. I say we take it."

"As do I, Master Skywalker," offered Nuhj. "The Sith has made a fatal error, we should take it."

"What did you just say, Nuhj? 'A fatal error'?" Anakin asked the Nikto Jedi.

"Yes, why?"

"We need to go, _now_! Sidious wouldn't make a mistake like this. He _knows_ he'd be a tempting target. And he knows we're still out here. He's deliberately opened himself up to tempt us into an attack. He's not that stupid."

Unsurprisingly, Padme grasped it first. "It's a trap, isn't it?" she asked.

Nodding, Anakin replied, "I believe so. If Obi-wan was here, I'd say, 'lets spring it.' But he's not. And we have a more important duty. We have sixty younglings we need to think about." Turning to the other Jedi he said, "You haven't seen what he did at the Temple. I was there. I watched on the security holos as he cut down over a dozen Jedi in less than two minutes. We need to go."

Understanding dawning on the Jedi's faces, they all quickly now agreed. Leaving the palace, the Jedi and Padme raced for the hanger where their ships were waiting. Comming ahead to their Padawans, they told them to get the ships warmed up and ready to launch the minute they got there, then wait outside and be ready to defend them. That done, all four Jedi quickly checked that their lightsabers were ready at hand while Padme made sure she had a full charge on her blaster. This was going to be close.

Deep in the Forests of Kashyyyk, Master Yoda sat meditating. He and his strike force of sixty Jedi had made a noticeable impact on the Empire's slaving operations. They had managed to free thousands of Wookies who had been captured and lead numerous "hunting parties" of Trandoshans into traps that few escaped from. Among those that they had rescued were his friends Chewbacca and Tarfful. The two Wookies were busy organizing a resistance force to stop the Empire "harvesting" more Wookies.

One consequence of their arrival on Kashyyyk was finding two more Jedi. Or rather, former Jedi. Kento and Mallie Marek had resigned from the Order midway through the Clone Wars to marry. After leaving the Order, the two had decided to live in the shadowlands on Kashyyyk, away from the Galaxy, away from the Jedi, away from the War. Unfortunately, the War, the Jedi and the Galaxy had come to them. At Master Yoda's urging, the two former Jedi agreed to take up their lightsabers once again and help defend the Wookies. Their young son, Galen, was in the camp, being watched over by Mallatobuck and Lumpawaroo, Chewbacca's wife and son. The boy was incredibly strong with the Force. And he had an inquisitive mind. He proved that when he called Yoda's lightsaber to his hand without any training what so ever. Apparently just because it was shiny and he wanted to see it. It was no wonder why his parents didn't wear their lightsabers around him. _Much training, would that one take._ When the Jedi returned to Tython, both Galen and Waroo would accompany them as both were to be trained as Jedi.

Yoda had also offered Tarfful that any of his people who wished to flee the Empire, the Jedi would help. While there was nowhere else in the galaxy with anything like the wroshyr trees that the Wookies built their homes in, they were welcome to settle on Tython or one of the other planets in the system. Where they would be safe. Several hundred of the Wookies agreed to go with the Jedi, mainly those with families or those too old or wounded to continue the fight. Thinking of that offer, perhaps he and the rest of the Council had erred by not offering the same to the families of the children they were taking for training. _Talk with the Council about it, he would have to._

Another few weeks and he and the majority of the Jedi would be heading back to Tython, once Tarfful got his resistance group organized. When the time came to openly fight against the Empire, the Wookies and Kashyyyk would be invaluable allies.

On Ryloth, Jedi Master Aayla Secura was also busy. Like the Jedi on Kashyyyk, she and her team had also freed thousands of Twi'leks from a life of bondage. Fortunately, she had had a great deal of help in Cham Syndulla. Once she had convinced him that they actually were there to help, anyway. Being betrayed by the GAR had left it's mark on him. The fact that it was a fellow Twi'lek who was leading the team did make it easier though. And really, all it took was the Jedi rescuing a number of his people. Including his daughter, Hera, who had been captured in an attempt to force his cooperation with the Empire.

For Master Secura, her task was much easier than Master Yoda's. Cham Syndulla had been leading a resistance for years. First against the CIS, now against the Empire. And with the Jedi actively helping him, his movement began to have a real effect on the course of his war. He was taking fewer casualties now that the Jedi could warn him of possible ambushes, and more Twi'leks were willing to join him once they saw that they weren't alone. That the Jedi still cared about them and were willing to fight for them. While no one believed they could entirely throw the Empire off Ryloth, at least not yet, it still gave them hope.

Then, of course, there was Master Secura's _other_ mission. Finding Force Sensitives. Unlike on Alderaan or Naboo, where they could count on the government's cooperation and turning a blind eye to altered records, on Ryloth, they had to be much more covert. Over the course of several weeks, Master Secura and the Jedi with her had managed to find roughly a dozen younglings that could be trained. Their families were only too happy to give them to the Jedi and thus save them from a life of slavery. Fortunately for her, Cham had a very talented slicer in his group who hacked into the Empire's records and listed the children of these families as having already been taken for slaves and sold to various crime syndicates. Where they would eventually be "killed." In another week, Master Secura, the younglings and forty of the sixty Jedi she had brought with her would return to Tython. The other twenty would stay behind to help lead the resistance.

A'Sharad Hett huddled in a cave on Jedha. From space, the moon reminded the Jedi Master of Tatooine. Once he had actually landed on the planet however, he realized just how wrong that assumption had been. Though both were deserts, Jedha was locked in a permanent winter. Wrapping his cloak tighter around him, he watched through a set of macrobinoculars as Imperial Forces guarded the Kyber Temple and others dug mines. A little discrete questioning had provided the information that the Empire was after the Kyber Crystals. Hett could only wonder why. Outside of being used in a lightsaber, they really didn't have much use. At least, not to anyone who wasn't Force Sensitive. But they weren't here to wonder why they were being used. They were here to stop the Empire. If they dug up any associated intelligence, well, that would just be a bonus.

He and the nineteen other Jedi with him were about to make their presence known in a big way. In two standard hours, he would lead four of his Jedi to the Kyber Temple. There, they and the Guardians of the Whills would assault the Empire, throw them from the Temple, remove the Kyber Crystals and other valuable artifacts, then race back to the shuttles and get the Force out of there.

The fifteen other Jedi, led by Master K'Kruhk, would go after the mines. Overpower the guards, get the miners out, then blow the mine shafts. As soon as they did that, they were to head back into the hills and wait for more Imperials to show up and try to reopen the mines, take them out again, then get to their ships and head for home. All in all, it was a solid plan. Hett had also given Master K'Kruhk the option of hitting the Imperial base here if he wanted to try and gather as much intelligence as he could on what the Empire was planning to do with the Crystal once they had it. It felt good to be striking back.

" _Why do I always get the tough missions_?" Obi-wan Kenobi thought to himself. Out of all the Jedi on Tython, he got stuck leading the mission to take out the Imperial Academy on Carida. Carida wasn't even that important. Oh, he understood why in the long run it made sense to hit the Academy. Interrupt and disrupt the pipeline for Imperial Officers, make life more difficult for Palpatine. Well, they also had the job of securing the new encryption gear the Empire was using, securing as many codes as they could and slicing into the Imperial database for anything else that might be of use. He just wished someone else had gotten the job.

And on top of all that, he also had to watch out for his new Padawan. Master Yoda had assigned him the boy right before he left for Kashyyyk. Zett Jukassa was an eager young man who, while very good with his lightsaber, wasn't anywhere near as good as he thought he was. In that regard, he reminded him very much of Anakin. With a groan, Obi-wan realized that's probably why Yoda had assigned Zett to him. He had experience training Padawans like that. Still, the boy was gifted with the rare ability of farsight. Actually, that seemed to be another trait he shared with Anakin. Shaking his head, Obi-wan got back to work planning their assault.


	15. Chapter 15: First Fights

On Tython, Jedi Masters Nejaa Halcyon and Quinlin Voss landed within minutes of each other. This would not have normally warranted notice. Except both men had their wives and sons with them. This caused several Jedi to stop and look. Some with accepting expressions on their faces, others that clearly disapproved.

Running into each other in the Temple, the two Jedi Masters decided to speak to the Council together. That was when they learned that several members of the Council were off planet at the moment, doing their best to disrupt Palpatine's plans. Plo Koon, appointed to the position of Master of the Order following the death of Mace Windu, looked at the two Jedi and shook his head. It really was a pity he had to wear his breath mask, he wished both Masters could see the disappointment on his face.

"Masters Voss and Halcyon, you can explain, I take it?"

Glancing at each other, Voss and Halcyon seemed to reach the same conclusion. "We could, Master," said Nejaa. "But would anything we say ever excuse our actions?"

"If the Council is worried about our ability to continue to perform our duty," added Quinlan, "don't be. We both have already proved that we are able to fulfil our duty as Jedi while having a family."

"There is much defiance in you, Quinlan. I fear that it will lead you back to the Dark Side," Plo told him.

Nodding his head at the Council member Quinlan conceded the point. "It is possible. I have walked the line between light and dark for a very long time. I have fallen to the Dark Side before. It holds no terrors for me any longer. But my wife and son keep me rooted in the light. Never would I jeopardize them by falling again."

"You sound like Master Skywalker, Quinlan," said Shaak Ti. "As it turns out, he too has a wife and children." Noticing the somewhat guilty look on Master Halcyon's face and in his Force Aura she turned to him. "You knew, didn't you Nejaa?"

Standing tall and looking directly at the Togruta Council member Nejaa told her, "I did, Master Ti. While we were on a mission together, I sensed something was eating him up in spirit. He confessed his marriage to me then as I did mine to him. Judging by the Council's reaction, he was more than worthy of my trust as he clearly did not disclose my marriage when the Council discovered his."

"No, he did not," said Ki-Adi-Mundi from his seat. Inclining his head toward the twoJedi he said to the Council at large, "This now makes four Jedi Masters that _we know of_ that are all married, including myself. It is high time we revisit our policy on attachment." Having said that, Master Mundi leaned back in his seat to await the inevitable argument.

Jocasta Nu, sitting closest to the two men nodded her head toward the door for them to go about their day while the Council, again, debated the policy on attachment. She, for one, was growing increasingly tired of this argument.

_

On Alderaan, Anakin, Padme and three Jedi Knights with them were racing to their ships. Ahsoka had just commed them and told them both ships were powered up and ready to go the instant they got there. _Thank the Force for small miracles_ , thought Anakin. They were going to be cutting this insanely close. If he did the math right, they would reach their shuttles mere minutes before Sidious landed. All he could do was hope that he didn't send any Stormtroopers ahead of him to physically secure the spaceports. He _knew_ they should have landed somewhere out in the hills. Force, being a fugitive was harder than he thought. He still thought too much like a representative of the Republic. It was something they would all have to learn. From now on, they would have to be _much_ quieter in their movements. Assuming, that is, that they lived long enough to learn from this.

Just as they reached the hanger their ships were in,one of the Empire's new TIE fighters screamed overhead, preceding a _Lambda_ -class shuttle that radiated darkness. " _Sidious_ ," breathed Anakin as he watched it fly over head. Seeing the shuttle continue on, Anakin thought that _just maybe_ they weren't noticed, as all the Jedi were heavily shielding their presences and that of the children. The sounds of igniting lightsabers soon proved him wrong.

Quickly looking to his left, Anakin saw two glowing red blades in the shadows. They seemed almost as if they were floating, the darkness around them was so complete. He could practically hear Obi-wan in his head saying, " _Oh, not good_." Standing side by side, the four Jedi ignited their lightsabers as well and prepared to face their foes. That was when they heard the sound of assault shuttles landing and Clones pouring out ofthem.

Without turning from the two lightsaber wielding opponents across from him, Anakin quickly ordered Padme, Nuhj and Huulik to get to their ships. He and Zubain would hold the two Dark Jedi and the Stormtroopers off. While the rest hurried to their shuttles, Anakin and Jedi Knight Zubain Ankonori prepared for their duel. With a shock, they realized that they knew the two darksiders leading the Clones. They were former Jedi Knights Maw and Ameesa Darys.

The two Jedi almost faltered when they realized who it was facing them. Anakin, to his credit, called out to the two fallen Jedi.

"Maw, Ameesa, you don't have to do this. Put your lightsabers away. Turn back from the Dark Side. We can help you." Zubain quickly nodding his head in agreement with the young Jedi Master.

Their only response was the two Dark Jedi lunging at them. The battle that ensured was fast and furious.Though both Anakin and the Zabrak Zubain were better duelists than either Maw or Ameesa, the Dark Side fueled both of them, giving them a rage and strength neither had previously possessed. Blades flashing through the air, the two Jedi battled their two fallen former comrades, blue and green blades crashing against red. As Zubain launched a kick to the chest of Darys, Maw tried to deflect Anakin's blade into Zubain's leg. Anakin though, was quicker. He hit Maw with a massive wave of energy through the Force, literally flinging him across the hanger. Seeing Ameesa down as well, the two Jedi began to run to the shuttles. Just as they reached them, they could feel the dark presence of Sidious arriving.

Screaming for Ahsoka and Huulik to launch, Anakin was not even halfway up the ramp when Sidious entered the hanger. Seeing his would be apprentice in the tans and browns of the Jedi, his blue saber glowing in his hand, his Force Aura radiating light, Sidious' rage flared, his eyes glowing yellow. Raising his hands, lighting blasted out of his fingertips straight at Skywalker.

Anchoring himself with the Force as the shuttle shot into the sky, Anakin was amazed at the power that Sidious wielded. Even with both hands on the hilt of his lightsaber, he was hard pressed to hold the Force Lightning at bay. Pouring everything he had into it, he slowly began to angle his blade down and sent the last of the lightning straight into the face of Sidious. Finally getting out of reach of Sidious, Anakin collapsed panting on the shuttle ramp as it slowly closed.

As the shuttles rocketed into the Naboo sky, both Ahsoka and Huulik put their skills as pilots to good use. Dodging blaster fire and TIE fighters, the two Jedi flew with almost reckless abandon. Handling the two shuttles more like fighters than the glorified speeders they really were. Breaking into Orbit, a massive _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyer dropped out of hyperspace almost directly in front of them. Firing their laser cannons at the Star Destroyer's bridge as they shot past, they had the satisfaction of seeing one of the shield generator/sensor domes explode before the Destroyer could raise its shields. The two shuttles jumped into hyperspace just as the first green lances of energy exploded out from the Star Destroyer's turbolaser batteries.

_

A'Sharad Hett was not a happy man. Getting into the Kyber Temple had not been a problem what-so-ever. In fact, it had gone even easier than he had hoped it would. The Guardians who had joined him in the assault were helpful beyond all belief as they knew every nook and cranny of the Temple. It was getting back out that was the problem. One of the Stormtroopers guarding the Temple had radioed for help as soon as the attack was launched. And oh, how that help had arrived.

Outside the Temple there was now arrayed against them two companies of Clones and three AT-TP walkers. Cursing to himself, Hett was wracking his brain for a way to get out of this mess. He had already spoken to the two Guardians that seemed to be in charge of the rest, Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus, to see if they had any suggestions on what they could do. They did know of several hidden passages that could be used to get out of the Temple, but they were too small to carry the crystals and the other artifacts with them. Hett decided to keep them as last ditch options. He didn't want to abandon what they came here to get. Not unless he had too.

They were lucky in how strongly built the Temple was. It would take the AT-TPs awhile yet to break through. Even with their heavy mass driver canons. He was about out of options when the sounds of battle erupted outside. Rushing to a window, he looked out and saw one of the AT-TPs blown apart and as he watched, a second missile streaked in and blew another one to pieces. That was also when he spotted what he should have seen first thing. The fifteen lightsabers of the other Jedi that were with him. With Master K'Kruhk at their head. They had come to the aid of their fellows after destroying the mines. Master Hett, shouting for the Jedi and Guardians to ready themselves, threw the doors open and those inside joined their fellow Jedi in the attack.

In thirty minutes, it was all over. The Clones and their Armor were destroyed. Oh, but the cost! Out of the twenty Jedi that had come to Jedha, only twelve were left. And Masters K'Kruhk and Hett had both been wounded. Of the Guardians of the Whills, only a handful remained. With both Masters Hett and K'Kruhk down with their injuries, Jedi Knight Prosset was left in command of the small strike force.

Turning to the few remaining Guardians, he offered them sanctuary with the Jedi away from the Empire. Warning them that the Empire would be back. And in greater numbers. But that the Jedi could offer them safety and what's more, promised that their skills would be greatly appreciated by the Order in helping to defend the Jedi Temple. Speaking among themselves, the Guardians agreed to join the Jedi, as to remain was suicide. However, they did so on one condition. They could not abandon the innocents that would be left behind in the Holy City to Imperial Retribution.

Speaking to the Jedi left, Prosset ordered them to secure as many hyperspace capable ships as possible and prepare to evacuate the city. That done, he and the Guardians proceeded to gather everyone up that wished to leave and hurriedly boarded the ships. While that was going on, Pablo-Jil and his Padawan cautiously entered the empty Imperial base and searched for anything of value that they could find. What they found was astounding.

Rushing back to the spaceport, the two Jedi found that the ships were just about loaded and ready to go. Thanking the Force for that, they impressed upon Prosset that what they found needed to get back to the High Council as soon as possible. Preferably sooner. Hurrying things along as much as they could, an hour later, the dozen small ships left Jedha and, on a long, roundabout course, headed back to Tython.

_

"Master," Zett Jukassa said cautiously. "Master, it's time."

Slowly opening his eyes, Obi-wan Kenobi smiled up at his new Padawan and thanked him for letting him know. Rising from the cushion he had been meditating on, he gathered himself and prepared for yet another fight. Obi-wan was _tired_ of fighting. He had seen enough death and destruction to last a hundred lifetimes. He consoled himself with the fact that this time at least, he could be certain he was doing the will of the Force.

Entering what served as their command center in the abandoned commercial plaza they had taken over, General Kenobi, as he had to think of himself for this mission, called together the forty Jedi and the officers of the two companies of the 501st that had accompanied him to Carida for their final briefing before launching their attack. Going over their assignments one last time and making sure everyone was ready for whatever came their way. Making sure everyone was aware of their contingency plans and what part they would play in it if needed. Once that had been accomplished, Obi-wan dismissed everyone to their assignments, wishing the Force be with them all.

Turning to the Clone Commander at his side Obi-wan said, "Commander Appo, you know what to do. Smash and grab. Take as many prisoners as you can. Good luck Commander."

"Thank you, Sir," replied Commander Appo. "And Sir, may the Force be with you."

"And with you, Appo."

With that, the Clone Commander and the Jedi General turned to their respective tasks. Obi-wan felt better knowing that the 501st had his back.

An hour later, Obi-wan was more grateful for that support than he could have ever imagined. The academy here had stronger defenses than anyone could have dreamed of. This made the experienced General _very_ suspicious of what was within. No mere academy should be this well defended. Not unless there was something far more important inside it than a school for prospective officers.

Obi-wan's hunch was proved correct when Commander Appo ran up to him two hours later after they had fought their way inside. "Sir! You need to see this sir," he said.

Quickly following the Commander, Obi-wan stopped dead in his tracks when they reached the lower levels. Carida was an academy alright. It also doubled as a prison apparently. For locked away in its depths were hundreds, if not thousands of beings. All of them former officers and NCOs in the Republic Navy, if their tattered uniforms were any guide. What they were imprisoned for, Kenobi could only guess. Freeing them as fast as they could, he was approached by a tall, distinguished man in the remains of a Captain's uniform.

Jarid Sykes had tried to desert from the Navy after Palpatine declared the New Order. Unfortunately, he wasn't successful. That was how he had ended up here. Locked away with other Naval personnel who had objected to Palpatine's take over. He had all but given up hope when suddenly, he was face to face with one of the most famous Jedi to have ever lived. Thanking the Force and every deity he knew, he approached Master Kenobi with as much dignity as he could muster and offered the General a salute.

Returning the man's salute, Kenobi and Sykes introduced themselves. With Sykes then imploring the Jedi Master to rescue them all.

"You need have no fear, Captain. Not one of you will be left behind. Are all the prisoners here men and women who refused to serve Palpatine?"

"Yes, all of us," said Captain Sykes. "We were kept here as a 'reminder' to the cadets of what would happen to them should they betray the Empire. Every day, one of us is chosen randomly to be publicly tortured and then executed by and in front of the cadets."

"That's horrible. We'll get you to safety. You have my word. We have a place that is very secure we can take all of you to."

"Thank you, General Kenobi. We are in your debt."

"Sir," interjected Commander Appo. "We don't have the transport space for everyone. We barely fit everyone in on the way here as it is."

"Hmmmm, quite right Commander. Well, then we'll just have to secure more transport, won't we?"

"Actually, General," said Captain Sykes. "In orbit over this world, there are, or rather, there should be, three _Nebulon B_ -class frigates. They have no regular crew assigned. They are used solely for training the cadets here. Unless they've been changed, I have access codes for all three." Seeing a somewhat doubtful lookon Kenobi's face, Jarid Sykes offered by way of an explanation, "Before I attempted to defect, I was an instructor here at the academy and commanded one of the ships."

With a glint in his eye and a sly grin, Obi-wan looked at Commander Appo, "Well, it would appear that our problems are solved. Radio to your men, see if they can confirm it. I do seem to recall seeing a ship of some kind in orbit."

"Right away Sir," replied the Clone Commander.

Shortly after, it was confirmed that all three warships were in orbit and all were powered down. Quickly utilizing their shuttles, the Jedi and the 501st started transferring the rescued members of the Republic Navy to the ships. Several hours later, the three ships jumped to hyperspace just before a fleet consisting of four _Victory_ -class and two _Venator_ -class Star Destroyers arrived in system. All they found was a ruined academy, several cadets who had refused to surrender and gone down fighting and an empty prison.

Once they were safely onboard the captured _Crusader_ , Obi-wan began to debrief not only his Jedi and the 501st, but the rescued Republic personnel. The mission was undoubtedly a success. But the costs were high. He had lost eleven Jedi in the attack along with the 501st losing almost thirty percent of their strength in both wounded and killed. Fortunately, the captured frigates all had medical suites on board with bacta tanks. Not as many as a true medical ship, but more than what they had before. The worst of the injured were in those tanks now. The Jedi had also managed to secure the new coding computers and the codes being used. While the 501st had managed to capture numerous cadets, some of whom had readily surrendered, having no desire to serve the Empire, but merely being forced to continue their studies due to having been enrolled prior to the fall of the Republic. A surprisingly large number of Clones had been captured as well. Mainly because the men of the 501st had hit them with stun blasts, then as they advanced, administered a powerful sedative to their brothers that ensured they stayed out until the Inhibitor Chips could be removed. They had also captured the academy's senior officers. After being interrogated using some gentle Force persuasion, these were dropped in an uninhabited system in the Outer Rim in a shuttle that was not hyperspace capable and had only an emergency comm system installed. Once that was done, the small Jedi fleet headed home for Tython.


	16. Chapter 16: After Action

Queen Apailana screamed as the Interrogation Droid tortured her. She had been locked in this cell for days now. Officially, she was secluded with the Emperor for high level discussions. No one would even think to look for her. She didn't know how much more she could take. So far, she had been able to resist the droid and insist that she didn't know that the Jedi or Padme were here.

Behind the observation window, Sidious stood quietly. The child in the other room was stronger than he thought. Most gave in to the Interrogation Droids much sooner. It was possible that she wouldn't crack at all. He had probed her mind earlier, and though he could tell she was hiding _something_ , she was able to so deeply bury what it was that even with all his power he couldn't rip it from her. With a snarl on his face, his anger built. _How could a child like her resist him_?

Deciding to probe her mind again, he dug a bit deeper. A ha. _That_ is why. The blasted Jedi had shielded her mind. Hmmmm, that left what he should do with her. His first instinct was to have her killed out of handand a more, compliant, ruler installed. Or he could leave her in charge, infiltrate one of his spies into her household and hopefully use her to lure the Jedi into a trap. Turning away from the window, he ordered the guards to continue the torture while he was gone. He had an appointment he needed to keep. He would release the brat once he returned.

As he walked away toward his shuttle, he contemplated what he had learned. The most obvious was that the Jedi remained a far larger threat than he had at first imagined. While he had been here, he had received reports of Jedi assaults on Kashyyyk, Ryloth, Jedha and Carida. The attacks on Jedha and Carida were the two that worried him. Carida for the obvious reason that they had managed to hijack three brand new frigates from the facility there along with their complement of V-19 Torrent starfighters. They had also freed all the traitorous scum held in the prison there and taken hostage the cadets that were in training. While the loss of the cadets wasn't really that critical as the Empire had other academies where they were being trained, the ones on Carida had been the best of them.

It was the attack on Jedha that he was truly worried about. Initial reports indicated that the Jedi had staged multiple attacks on the planet disrupting the mining of Kyber Crystals. They had also attacked and emptied the Kyber Temple there in conjunction with the Guardians of the Whills. The loss of the Kyber would delay his project significantly, but overall wasn't that important; there were other sources of Kyber Crystals in the galaxy. What _was_ important was that some treasonous fool had decided to store a copy of the plans for his project at the base there! Imperial Intelligence couldn't even be sure what had been accessed at the base since the entire base had been raided for supplies and equipment and every computer there wiped clean.

He had already ordered the execution of Orson Krennic for incompetence. Any blunder of the magnitude of storing the plans outside of his approved channels showed problems at the very top. He would simply appoint Moff Tarkin to oversee the project. He was quite sure that issues such as this would quickly be at an end.

The final piece of information he had gathered puzzled him greatly. Anakin Skywalker _refused_ to fight him. The Anakin he knew would have rushed headlong into battle with barely a thought to the consequences. What's more, the boy _radiated_ power. Far more than he ever had before. The way he had been able to hold his lightning attack at bay and even aimed it back at him was proof of that. In a fight now, Sidious wasn't sure he could beat Anakin. Before, he would have been able to rely on the boy's instability and doubts to always give himself the edge. But now? What he needed was a way to give himself another edge. He would have to delve deep into the Dark Side and seek a way to do just that.

The one positive to come of letting himself get hit in the face with his own Force Lightning was that he would no longer need to keep the Force Illusion in place to disguise himself. He could wear his own, true face from now on and blame it on the Jedi. This would help his propaganda campaign immeasurably.

_

On Vassek 3, General Grievous was _seething_. He had been used, betrayed, by the Sith. His armies had been shut down. His navies, disabled. Even his MagnaGuards had been deactivated. He swore he would get revenge on the Sith. Just as he would get revenge on the Jedi. These cults must be wiped from the galaxy.

"General. I see you have realized what happened," Sidious said quietly from the shadows of Grievous' Lair.

"Lord Sidious. You deceived me," Grievous said, pausing to cough. "You will pay for that. Your being here saves me the trouble of tracking you down." Finished talking, Grievous shrugged off his cape and took four of his captured lightsabers in his hands. Igniting them, he slowly advanced toward Sidious.

Sidious called his lightsaber into his hand, and let the Dark Side fill him. The glowing red blade in his hand was matched by the yellow glow in his eyes. Sidious flew into the attack. The sound of lightsabers crashing against each other filled the room. With a flick of his wrist, Sidious sent two of Grievous' hands flying, their lightsabers with them. A few short minutes later, and Sidious plunged his lightsaber into Grievous' chest, eviscerating what was left of his body, his organs bursting into flame. Sidious watched with satisfaction as Grievous burned up, flame shooting out of his chest cavity and being funneled by his droid body to erupt out of his eyes. As Grievous collapsed, Sidious turned and walked slowly back to his shuttle. It was time he returned to Naboo and released Apailana. Hopefully, she would be suitably softened and less likely to aide the Jedi. And if not, well, he was sure his apprentice could arrange an "accident" for her.

_

Shortly after Padme and the Jedi had left Alderaan, Breha approached Bail. "Remember how we had talked about adopting a child since we have been unable to have one of our own?" she asked.

"Of course I do," replied Bail, his voice somewhere between sad and hopeful.

"I think I've found the perfect one Bail," Breha said, her eyes shinning. "Her name is Winter. She's the daughter of your former aid, Sheltay Retrac. With both of her parents dying in the Attack on Coruscant..."

"It would only be right of us to raise her ourselves," Bail finished for his wife. "You're right, she is perfect. I'll get the paperwork started right away." Bail had a huge smile on his face as he pulled Breha into a tight embrace. They had wanted a child for so long. To know they were actually going to have one, adopted or not, filled him with joy, hope and determination. Joy that they were finally going to have a daughter. Hope that she would love them just as much as he already loved her. And determination to ensure that the galaxy she would grow up in would not be one dominated by the Empire.

With his sense of purpose renewed and strengthened, Bail threw himself into the task of organizing the resistance to Palpatine. The Jedi would need every bit of intelligence he could lay his hands on. Not only that, but they would need manpower, resources, supplies, ships, everything to fight a war. Because he knew that the only way to overthrow Palpatine would be a war. Bail was sick of war. But at least _this_ war would be fought for a worthy cause.

_

Jedi Master Kazdan Paratus was hard at work in the Temple's Utility Level. Anakin Skywalker had done quite a deal of work in getting the power back online, but had been elevated to Battlemaster before he could get many of the droids operational. Upon Anakin being reassigned, Kazdan had volunteered to take over for him and oversee the mechanical operation of the Temple along with teaching his class on mechanics.

He was still ashamed over the sheer terror he had felt during the assault on the Temple. He had been in battle numerous times, wasn't entirely unskilled with a lightsaber, but yet, seeing the red blade of the Sith at the head of the Army had completely unnerved him. He had spent many hours meditating on this, trying to purge himself of the crippling fear he had felt. To find a way to overcome it. He thought he had come to terms with it, but he couldn't really be sure. In the end, he had asked the High Council to allow him to remain at the Temple and to remove him from active field assignments. This would be his life now. Overseeing the droids and the various mechanical systems of the Temple and teaching younglings about mechanics. This was his life, and he was content with that.

_

Anakin Skywalker and his group were the first to arrive back on Tython. In the time they had spent traveling, Anakin and the other Jedi had done their best to soothe the younglings they had with them. Being exposed to Sidious' power and corruption was extremely traumatic for some of them. And they had done their best to calm them and purge the darkness that they had been exposed to. That they had mainly been successful in this was a testament to how much clearer they could feel the Force now. There were however, a few younglings that would require a bit more help. Though Anakin was confident they would receive it. The Jedi High Council had done much in the last months to regain his trust in them. He doubted he would ever fully trust the Council, but now it was a healthy doubt of a more mature being not taking everything he heard at face value instead of the blind mistrust and hatred he had felt before.

As Anakin, Padme and Ahsoka escorted the younglings to the crèche, they were greeted by two Padawans, one holding Luke and the other Leia. All four Skywalkers' faces lit up at seeing each other and Anakin and Padme couldn't wait to take their children into their arms. With Anakin holding Leia and Padme holding Luke, they introduced the Jedi caretakers to the younglings they had brought. Wishing the younglings the best and making sure they knew they could always talk to them if they needed it, the Skywalker family retired to their chambers to reconnect with each other.

Ahsoka, meanwhile went to her quarters right next to Anakin and Padme's so she could enjoy a nice long, hot sanisteam in the refresher before visiting the Archives to do some research. Anakin had asked her to find examples of non-Jedi family members being brought with their children when their child was accepted for Jedi training. It figured to be a long night.

_

Master Secura's group returned to Tython one standard week after Anakin's had. She had left Masters Roan Shryne and Bol Chatak behind on Ryloth along with eighteen Knights and Padawans and a platoon of the 501st. These forces would work with Cham Syndulla's men to disrupt the Empire as much as possible and do their best to save as many Twi'leks from slavery as they could. In return, Cham had promised to aid the Jedi when the time came to begin their open rebellion against Palpatine.

For the first time in a very long time, Aayla Secura felt _proud_ to have been part of a mission. It felt good to do something other than just fight a war. Yes, in a very real sense, the Jedi Order was fighting a war that would determine whether or not the Order itself survived. But to see the looks on the faces of the men and women she saved, beings who had given themselves up for dead in all but name, it filled her heart with joy. The feeling that she was finally worthy of the title "Jedi" again, and not just "Soldier."

She had sensed that same sense of pride returning to every Jedi that had served with her. She had even felt it in the men of the 501st. The sense that they weredoing more than just blasting Seps. That _this_ time, they were doing _good_. They still didn't like fighting their brothers. But they seemed to have developed a way to cope with it. Every trooper in the 501st had started to carry powerful sedatives with them.Whenever they came across one of their brothers, or who they thought might be one of their brothers, they hit him with a stun blast then administered the sedative. Then later on, they would remove the Inhibitor Chip and give their brother a choice. Join with them, or be treated as a POW. So far, at least while she had been on Ryloth, each and every Clone given the choice had opted to join with them. Apparently the IC's as the Clones had taken to calling the chips, were used for far more than just Order 66. She was just as glad that they had been able to rescue those men as she was for every Twi'lek they had rescued. The Clones still serving the Empire were slaves every bit as much as every Wookie or Twi'lek was.

She was also _very_ happy to finally be back home. That thought actually surprised her. For as long as she could remember, the Jedi Temple and Coruscant had been home. But in the few short months since the Order had fled to Tython, it had quickly turned into home for her. And from talking with her fellow Jedi, it seemed that they all felt the same. Most of the Jedi in the Order had all been raised at the Temple. Even Anakin Skywalker, for as late as he had joined the Order, had called the Temple home since he was nine. To see how many had quickly come to appreciate just what Tython meant to them was astounding. In all her years, she had never felt the Order as a whole feel so at peace. Despite everything that had happened, it was as if the Force itself was nurturing them and reassuring them that by returning to their roots, they were doing the right thing. It felt good.

Of course, arriving back on Tython meant other things as well. She had about two thousand Twi'leks with her that had opted to flee the Empire rather than stay and risk being captured again. They all needed help settling on the planet. In this regard, they were lucky. In researching Tython, one of Master Nu's archivists had found that at one time there had been a Twi'lek settlement on the planet not far from the Temple called Kalikori Village. It had apparently been built around the same time as the Temple here. While nothing remained of the village itself, it did provide a starting point for where to establish a new settlement. In this regard, the Twi'leks were aided by membersof the AgriCorps including Jambe Lu and Nam Poorf. In no time at all, the new Kalikori Village was up and running.

They also had Senator Amidala, no, Senator _Skywalker_ , she reminded herself, helping them when they first arrived. As Master Secura's ships came in for a landing, she spotted a large camp already set up with everything that could possibly be required to help the incoming refugees. Padme had really thrown herself into the work. She may be a Senator, but she had the heart of a Jedi.

_

Obi-wan's arrival back in system three days later caused a massive spike of alarm in the Temple. The sudden appearance of three Imperial Navy frigates above Tython led to Anakin scrambling every available Jedi Starfighter for defense. It was only when Anakin sensed Obi-wan onboard, and his amusement mixed with regret at the alarm he had caused, that he and the other Jedi started to relax.

Hailing the ship Obi-wan seemed to be on, Anakin got in contact with his old Master. "Master, next time you're going to surprise us like that, don't. I think you sent half the Jedi on Tython into the Halls of Healing with your arrival."

Sounding suitably contrite, Obi-wan replied, "Yes, about that. My apologies Anakin. We should have commed ahead and warned you of our arrival.Though I must congratulate you. You scrambled those fighters faster than I thought possible."

"Oh sure, try and butter me up. Won't work this time Master. I should tell you, Master Yoda has put me in charge of assigning Jedi to guard duty. And I can assign _any_ Jedi I deem fit."

"Anakin, you wouldn't."

"Report to the front entrance of theTemple bright and early tomorrow morning, my Master."

"I suppose saying 'I'm sorry' isn't going to get me out of this?"

"Sorry Obi-wan. Not this time. Nice ships by the way. Never seen ships like them before. Are they new?"

"Actually yes. Fresh off the production line less than three months ago. But I'll tell you all about them once we land."

"Fair enough Master. See you on the ground." With that, Anakin and the other fighters with him peeled off and sped back to the Temple. He felt much better now knowing that they had three capital ships at their disposal to help defend Tython. While he doubted they would hold off the Empire for long, every minute would count if they needed to evacuate.

_

Master Yoda was next to arrive. Though his mission had lasted the longest, he had a shorter route back home than Master Hett's. He had left Master Kirak Infil'a behind to run the resistance alongside Tarfful and Chewbacca along with nineteen Knights and Padawans and a platoon of the 501st, just as Master Secura had on Ryloth. Master Infil'a had actually taken the Barash Vow some years previously, but due to Order 66, and some pleading by Master Yoda, he had agreed to take up the Mantle of a Jedi once again. Master Infil'a was one of the Order's greatest warriors and was ideal to lead the fight against the Empire on Kashyyyk. The Wookies had quickly come to respect him for his martial prowess and fighting abilities.

Upon dropping out of hyperspace, Yoda was surprised to see what appeared to be capital ships of the Imperial Navy in orbit over Tython. Only a quickly placed holocall from the Council chambers and Anakin and Ahsoka flying up to meet him personally reassured him that no, Tython had not been discovered by the Empire already, but that the ships had been captured by Master Kenobi. _Ask Obi-wan about them, he would_ , Yoda thought to himself.

Upon landing at the Temple he was gratified to see that preparations had already been made for the arriving Wookie refugees. Thinking to himself, Yoda thought " _Senator Amidala, a soft spot for beings in need, she always had. Her work, this was. Thank her, I must_."

Within three hours of landing, the Wookies had all been cared for and given places to sleep till more permeant accommodations could be made. Padme had ensured that everything was ready for them, just as she had done for the Twi'lek refugees. While that was taking place, Yoda decided to call a Council meeting. There were many things that needed to be discussed.

Slowly making his way to the Council Chamber, Yoda decided to first wander the halls of the Temple for a bit. He wanted to check on his Jedi. As he passed the Halls of Healing, he saw Master Che administering to several Jedi and Clones that had been injured in the various fights the Order had been in. He also spotted several people in Republic Navy uniforms being seen to. Rescued by Master Kenobi, most likely. They appeared more malnourished and neglected than injured, but still in need of care. _Good it was to see the Order remembering their original purpose. To aid all who needed it, not just those the Senate deemed worthy._

As he neared one of the many training rooms, he could hear the sounds of numerous lightsabers deflecting bolts from training droids. He paused at the door and watched as Young Skywalker gently coached and guided a group of fifty younglings in the basics of Form I lightsaber combat. Watching Skywalker and the younglings brought warm feelings to his heart. _Interesting, it was, to see how gentle Skywalker was with the younglings, while in battle, a rancor he was._

As he entered the room, the young Jedi Master called for his class to put away their lightsabers for a moment and greet the aged Grand Master of the Order. "Hello Master Yoda," the Younglings said simultaneously.

Chuckling to himself, Master Yoda replied, "Greetings, young ones. Does my heart good to see you. Missed you, I did, while away I was. Progressed well, you have."

A chorus of "Thank you, Master" answered him. Laughing a bit to himself, Yoda patted Anakin on the arm and continued on his way. As he left, he heard Anakin tell his students to put their visors back down and power up their lightsabers again.

Reaching the Archives, he watched as Masters, Knight, Padawans and Younglings all busied themselves at the holoterminals or the handful of holocrons that were considered safe for use by all and required no special permission to use. He spotted Young Skywalker's Padawan, Ahsoka, busy accessing a holocron that, from the look of it, was older than he was. That she was in the secure holocron area told him that she had needed special authority to access it. That reminded him of another thing he needed to speak to the Council about. _Ready for her Trials, Ahsoka was. A fine Jedi Knight would she make._

In his long walk through the Temple, Yoda found that his Jedi were well settled, content, and generally happy. _Pleased him, this did. Too much death had the Order seen. Return to their roots, they must if survive they would. A start they had made, here on Tython. To continue would be the challenge._

As he reached the Council Chamber, Master Yoda thought about just how far the Order had come in the last few months. And just how far they had yet to go. Making his way slowly to his chair at the far end of the chamber, he was reminded again of just how much more comfortable his chair on Coruscant had been. _Hmmph. Soft, I am in my old age,_ he thought.

Calling the meeting to Order, he first decided to debrief Masters Secura and Kenobi on their missions to Ryloth and Carida. Master Secura's was more or less what he expected. The alliance with Cham Syndulla would prove itself quite useful when the time came. It would also be good to have now as a source of information and as something that the Jedi could point to as proof that they still were active in the Galaxy, still serving the greater good. He, and the rest of the Council, were very pleased with the results of the mission.

Obi-wan went next. His mission was also a success. Much more so than originally planned for. The three Frigates in orbit were proof of that. Curious about them, Yoda asked him about them.

"Master," replied Obi-wan, "they are called _EF-76 Nebulon B_ class frigates. They're a new design just being introduced into the Imperial Navy. We managed to capture the _Crusader_ , _Enforcer_ and _Dominator_. One of the men we rescued, Captain Jarid Sykes of the Republic Navy could likely give us a much better rundown of their capabilities than I can."

"Hmmmm, send for him, we will. Think of new names for the ships as well, we must."

While they waited for the Captain to arrive, the Council finished discussing the rest of Obi-wan's mission. They were all saddened to learn of the loss of another eleven Jedi during the mission. Though they all agreed that overall, the mission should be considered a resounding success and just the type of thing to throw a serious hydrospanner into Sidious' plans. The cadets that they captured, those that were willing to join them, would make ideal junior officers for their new fleet. And the captured coding materials would let them spy on the Empire. At least until the codes were changed once again.

Captain Sykes proved to be a fount knowledge. Not just about the type of ships they had captured, but about the Imperial Navy as a whole. It turns out, that the Empire was rapidly retiring the _Venator_ -class Star Destroyers as soon as they could be replaced by the new _Imperial_ -class. He also happened to know where they were planning on mothballing the ships, having been on the Imperial Navy planning staff before taking his posting at Carida. While the Jedi and their allies were not yet in a position to operate Star Destroyers, they would keep a close eye the situation.

After listening to Jarid Sykes, he was offered command of one of the frigates and a promotion to Commodore, placing him under General Skywalker. Captain Sykes readily agreed as he was more than ready to strike back at the Empire for what they had done. Not only to him, but to all the rest of the personnel that were kept prisoner at Carida. Once he had accepted, he was dismissed and Master Skywalker called to the Council Chamber to be debriefed on his mission as well.

Anakin, Padme and Ahsoka all went to the Council Meeting. Anakin as he was nominally in charge of the mission, Padme as she could best explain the political aspects of it (and their new intelligence network) and Ahsoka to present her findings in support of bringing the initiates' families to Tython. The Council was more than pleased to hear of the addition of sixty younglings to their ranks and to learn of the coalition that Padme and Bail had begun building.

The shock they all felt when Anakin related that Sidious himself had arrived on Naboo as they were preparing to depart could be felt almost physically. That Anakin had had the foresight to leave instead of attempting an ill-fated duel with the Sith Lord brought an immense feeling of pride in his former pupil to Obi-wan. Anakin had truly grown into a wise Jedi. Then there was also the sadness felt when Anakin related how two of their own, Maw and Ameesa Darys, had fallen to the Dark Side and were now serving Sidious.

Their reaction to Anakin's suggestion that the families of the children they brought back with them should be extracted as well, was mixed. Though much progress had been made on the issue of attachment, this was a wholly new issue. It was thought that never before in the history of the Order had parents and children been brought to the Temple when the child was selected for training. It was here that Ahsoka's practice in front of Anakin and his mock Council on Naboo paid off.

She was able to skillfully use the arguments she had first crafted then and refined since to sway the Council to her way of thinking. And while she was mostly successful, she knew that she still needed that one, last clinching argument. This is where her study with the holocrons would come into play.

"Masters, over the last two weeks I've delved extensively into our ancient records and holocrons. In that time, I've found that between five and six thousand years ago, it was not uncommon for the Order to resettle the families of Initiates to help ease their transition into the Order. It also helped the Order in recruiting, as families would not lose all contact with their child, thus making them more likely to allow the child to be trained. This would require a change in the way we instruct our younglings, to help them form _healthy_ attachments, but I believe that this is a change for the best."

Judging by the looks on the Council Members faces, they were very impressed with her arguments. And judging from what she felt from Anakin through their Force Bond, he was very proud of her. The Council's decision was not long in coming.

"Agree with you, the Council does. The families of the initiates, to Tython they will be brought," Master Yoda told her.

Bowing to the Council Ahsoka thanked them for listening to her.

Looking at Anakin, Yoda asked, "Master Skywalker. More to say, have you?"

Nodding his head, Anakin replied, "With your permission, my Master. During our time on Alderaan and Naboo, we found over a hundred beings who were Force Sensitive, but were older than the age you gave us to stay under. In discussing the situation with the families of the Initiates, we stumbled across an idea. The Jedi Service Corps, much as the rest of the Order, has been critically undermanned for decades. What if, instead of training these older individuals as Jedi Knights, we train them to serve in the Service Corps? It would allow us to expand the Corps to be able to provide needed services while at the same time, keeping these Force Sensitives out of Sidious' control."

The surprise that rippled through the room was enough to make Anakin chuckle. Smiling at the Council, he told them, "Yeah, that was pretty much our reaction as well when we thought of the idea. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it."

J'oopi She' was the first to respond. "It does. In fact, it is actually surprising that we've never considered this before. Thank you, Master Skywalker. This is definitely a suggestion that merits further exploration."

Bowing to the Council and thanking them, Anakin, Padme and Ahsoka were just about to leave the Council Chambers when Pablo-Jil and Prosset burst into the room, "The Empire! It's building a planet killer!"


	17. Chapter 17: Allies

"The Empire is _what_?!" asked Master Sinube.

Slightly out of breath from running all the way from the landing pad, Pablo-Jil responded, panting, "Building a planetkiller. A massive superlaser, big enough to destroy a planet." Pulling the plans from his robes, he handed them to Master Nu, "These are the plans. This, this thing, its massive. The size of a small moon. But its mobile. It has a hyperdrive. This is what the Empire was after the Kyber for."

Quickly loading the plans into the holodisplay in the Council Chambers, an image of the battle station came up. Manipulating the image to focus on the laser, she quickly called up the technical readouts. What the Jedi saw made them blanche. This weapon, were it ever to be completed would force the entire galaxy to submit to the Sith. Or be guaranteed destruction.

"We can not let the Sith build this monstrosity," insisted Kit Fisto. Turning to Prosset and Pablo-Jil, "do these plans give any indication where this, this, _thing_ is to be built?"

"No, Master," Prosset answered. "The Kyber shipment manifests that we saw all only show a destination of Eadu. We found that there is an Imperial Research facility there. But that's all. No mention of any construction facilities of any kind."

"Hmmmm, disturbing, this is," Yoda said. "All in our power, we must do to stop it." Looking at Master Tera Sinube, "Our most skilled investigator, you are. Request of you to find all you can on this weapon. A way to destroy it, we must have."

Thinking on this request for a few minutes, Master Sinube finally nodded his head. "Yes, Master. I will take this assignment. We will stop the Empire from building this terrible weapon."

"Our thanks you have. Our lives also, in your hands are."

"Anakin, Padme," Obi-wan called to them. "Out of everyone on this planet, you know Palpatine the best. Could he have deliberately let us find these? Could he be sending us chasing shadows?"

"If I may, Master Jedi, I believe I can answer," responded Padme. "While he is certainly capable of that level of planning and treachery, in this case, I don't think that is what happened. He would have sold it better. Made us believe, without even a shadow of a doubt, that what we found was absolutely priceless. This doesn't feel like one of his feints."

"I agree," added Anakin. Looking at Pablo-Jil he asked him, "When you found these, where were they in the base? Was it guarded? Did anything stand out to you as being, I don't know, a bit off?"

Thinking deeply on it, and recalling the fight on Jedha Pablo-Jil gave what passed for the Ongree equivalent of a head shake and replied, "No. The entire base was empty when my Padawan and I entered it. All Imperial Forces had engaged us at the Kyber Temple. The only thing odd about it was that there was a list of those approved to have the plans in the file header, and that base was not on it."

"So someone sent these plans to that base without authorization," offered Ki-Adi-Mundi. "Why?"

"There was a section highlighted in the plans, Master," answered Pablo-Jil. "Specifically about the Kyber Crystal. It could be the miners on Jedha were not sending what was needed and so the plans were provided to assist them."

"That makes sense," said Shaak Ti. "If the miners knew what the Crystal was needed for, they could actively look for exactly what was needed and reduce waste."

While the debate would continue for some time, in the end, it was decided that they would consider the plans genuine unless Master Sinube found otherwise. Once that was done, the Council asked Anakin, in his role as Jedi Battlemaster, for suggestions on dealing with the weapon that they now knew was called the Death Star, having seen the name referenced in the plans.Thinking on it, Anakin offered several solutions. First and foremost, using their new frigates to interrupt and harass Imperial supply shipments. While they may not know exactly where this thing was being built, they did know what was needed to build it and could ambush shipments of critical components at their origins. Particularly shipments of Kyber Crystal. While this wouldn't stop construction, it would definitely delay it and force the Empire to commit resources to defending convoys instead of pacification efforts elsewhere in the galaxy. Plus, if there was no Kyber, there was no weapon. The Empire would be left with, essentially, a very large, mobile space station. As far as destroying it, that would depend on where it was, what shape it was in when they found it and if there were any weaknesses they could exploit. Anakin doubted whether anything short of a Base Delta Zero strike by a fleet of Star Destroyers would be sufficient to destroy it once completed, and the Jedi had no Star Destroyers.

When the Council finally adjourned for the evening with the understanding that they would finish debriefing Knights Prosset and Jil about their mission tomorrow, it had been decided that Master Sinube would immediately devote himself completely to tracking down this weapon while the rest of the Order and their allies would step up their attacks on Imperial infrastructure. As he walked from the Council Chamber, Anakin thought to himself, " _Looks like those frigates will be seeing action sooner than we thought_."

As Anakin pondered on what he could do to help prepare their small fleet and to enhance its capabilities, a young Jedi Knight walked up to him and asked to speak to him privately. Nodding his head and leading her to his small office off one of the sparing rooms, he sat down behind his desk, offered his guest a chair and then asked what he could do for her.

Looking decidedly nervous and squirming in her chair, Etain Tur-Murkan could barely meet the piercing blue gaze of the Order's youngest Jedi Master. Finally stealing herself, she looked at Anakin and told him about her family.

As her story poured out, Anakin's gaze slowly softened. He well knew what she was going through being separated from those she loved. Though in one way, it must be even worse for her, with being separated from her son as well. Anakin couldn't bear to think of what it would be like for him to not be able to go home to Luke and Leia and Padme every night. Even on his recent mission where he and Padme had been away from their children for nearly two months, he still knew exactly where they were, that they were safe and, most importantly, that he would be going back to them very soon.

Looking at the distraught young Knight in front of him, Anakin could only feel compassion for her. As gently as he could, he asked her, "What would you like to do Etain? Leave the Order? Bring them here? Whatever you do decide, you'll have my support."

Grateful for Anakin's understanding, she broached the bigger issue with her family. "Master, my husband isn't just a Clone Commando, he's been adopted into Clan Skirata and is a Mandalorian. My entire family are basically Mando'ade. I'm not sure how well the Jedi and the Mandalorians could ever fit together."

Thinking deeply on the issue, something Anakin realized he was beginning to do more and more frequently now that he was a father, he finally replied, "Mandalorians and Jedi have long had a, troubled, relationship, its true. But, this is a new Order. I believe that if we could forge an alliance with Mandalore, we all would be strengthened. I doubt Clan Fett will ever join us, not after Master Windu decapitated Jango, but the rest of them might. _If_ we can show that our two cultures can work together." Pausing briefly, Anakin continued, "This is what I suggest: You, myself, my wife and my son and daughter along with Captain Rex and some of his men travel to Mandalore to speak to your family. Let them see first hand that the Jedi Order is changing. That families are no longer shunned. Once we're there, you and your family can decide how to proceed."

Etain was shocked. This was more than she had hoped for. At most, she was hoping that Master Skywalker would speak to the Council for her, maybe get her permission to see her family. She was very grateful. And she readily agreed. Anakin promised to speak with the Council tomorrow about it.

Jarid Sykes and Kazdan Paratus were inspecting the captured ships. Already, Kazdan had found several areas where he could improve them and automate some of their functions and reduce crew size. So far, they had been able to reduce the optimal crew from over 800 to around 750. And the Jedi Master believed he could get it even lower. Master Skywalker had commed them just a few minutes ago to apologize for being late and to let them know he was on his way.

Upon his arrival on the _Redemption_ , the former _Crusader_ , Anakin showed Master Paratus and Commodore Sykes the ideas he had for the ships. From studying the ship's plans, Anakin believed he could improve the ship's hyperdrive from class 1.0 to class 0.8. Not a huge difference, but enough to outrun an Imperial warship if the need arose. He had also found a way to improve the ship's shields by up to thirty percent. His other major idea was a way to increase the ship's fighter capacity. Currently, the ships carried sixteen V-19 Torrent fighters, and according to the onboard plans, could handle up to twenty-four TIE fighters in her hanger. But Anakin had found a way to possibly harness up to an additional ten fighters to the ship's exterior, in particular along the tunnel between the fore and aft sections of the ship.

After discussing the details and what materials would be required for both his and Master Paratus' ideas, it was decided which would be implemented first and which would be done on an "as time permits" basis. Reducing the crew size was given absolute priority. Satisfied that his "fleet" would be the best it could be, Anakin returned to the surface. He was already thinking of ways that Master Paratus could help reduce the crew needs of a _Venator_.

The next morning, after teaching his advanced lightsaber class, Anakin met with the Council on behalf of Jedi Tur-Murken. Explaining her situation to them, he also offered his suggestion to the Council on how they might best approach the Mandalorians and hopefully enlist their support. While there was some mistrust between the Jedi Order and the Mandalorians, after a few hours of debate, it was decided that joining forces with them would make overthrowing the Empire far easier. Even if only a few decided to aide them, their help in training new recruits and enhancing the skills of the 501st would be invaluable.

The only question remaining was who to send. Obviously Etain would go, as it was her family. It was also decided to send Anakin, who had a family as well. Finally, the Order would send Masters Kenobi and Fisto as well, as representatives of the Council. To show the Mandalorians that the Jedi Order did indeed support this and was serious about pursuing an alliance.

The final item that was discussed was the High Council finally agreeing to officially change the policy on attachment. From now on, Jedi would be allowed contact with their families if they so desired, and would also be allowed to marry. Though it was agreed that as a part of their training, a Jedi must be taught the difference between a healthy attachment and an unhealthy one. They were also to be taught how to let go of their attachments should the time ever come when it became necessary, such as with the death of a loved one. Anakin turned slightly red at this last remark, since he well knew that letting go was not something he was very good at. These requirements would also apply to all current Knights and Masters as well if they wished to marry.

Along with this, it had been decided that, although aspects of the Code would be changing, the basic mantra would not. Merely how it was to be applied. Having decided this, the Council braced for the expected backlash. Though most in the Order would agree with the changes, they well knew that some would not. However, Master Nu had prepared for this. She had done extensive research on the Jedi of old and had numerous examples of Jedi that were either redeemed by their attachments or prevented from falling by them. She could also show that having properly formed attachments did not affect a Jedi's ability to perform his or her duty. With that in mind, the Council's decision was announced to the Order that evening.

Anakin was in an odd position as he boarded the flagship of their small fleet, the _Redemption_. Though the fleet was technically under his command as Battlemaster, he was not the senior most General, as both Obi-wan and Kit, as High Council members, outranked him. Then, there was Commodore Sykes who had actual day-to-day control over the fleet. To call the command structure dizzying would be an understatement. For how the Jedi planned to normally use their small fleet, this would not have normally been an issue as each frigate was expected to operate independently when interdicting trade.

But this time, they were sending all three ships. It was felt that, as the Mandalorians respected strength above all, that this show of force, of what they were capable of doing, might make an impression upon them. But only if they could present a coherent front. Which led to several discussions between all four men. It was finally decided that Anakin would be in overall command of the fleet, with Masters Kenobi and Fisto as passengers.

Anakin and Commodore Sykes had spent the last few weeks, ever since Obi-wan had captured the ships and the decision was made to attempt to negotiate with Mandalore, assigning crew to each ship and drilling them as much as they were able. Fortunately, there had been nearly two thousand Republic Navy personnel in the prison at Carida, almost all of them officers and NCOs. Of those, all but about one hundred were fit for duty. Unfortunately, that left a shortfall of almost five hundred personnel, even with Master Paratus' modifications. They had managed to make up three hundred of those with volunteers from the Twi'lek and Wookie refugees. The balance was made up of men of the 501st who volunteered for this mission.

While the _Redemption_ wasn't the _Resolute_ , it wasn't exactly a Corellian freighter either. Considering how little time they had to train and drill, Anakin was very happy with his fleet. While he missed the fire power and size of a _Venator_ , these ships would more than pull their weight. Nodding to Commodore Sykes, the Jedi Fleet jumped into hyperspace.

Kal Skirata played the message he had received again. He thought Etain was dead. He called Darman in and sat him down, telling him, "I've got something to show you son. You need to steel yourself." The next few minutes were difficult to say the least.

Darman was in shock. Etain was _alive_. He had been certain that she had been killed at the Temple when that _aruetii_ Cody had assaulted the Temple. To see her face, hear her voice, to _know_ that she was ok. That she was coming _here_. He was beyond thrilled. But he was also terrified. She had still been wearing her robes and lightsaber in the message. If she was still a Jedi, would she insist on staying with the Jedi? Would she try forcing him and his brothers to serve the Jedi again? Not that all Jedi were bad, mind you. General Skywalker was actually pretty good to work with. Or he had been. The Empire was claiming that Skywalker had been cut down on Naboo. _Get ahold of yourself, Trooper,_ he told himself. His mind felt like a broken holo. First one thought, then a random unconnected thought. He needed to focus. Taking a few deep breaths, he went back inside to his son. Etain would be on the planet in just a few hours.

As the three frigates hurtled through hyperspace, Anakin and Commodore Sykes sat in a conference room discussing how they would expand the fleet as their alliance grew. Unless they could get entire worlds to join with them, worlds that could either defend themselves or be covert in their support until the time was right, they couldn't count on huge numbers of recruits. At least not right away.

As Anakin sat bouncing Luke on his knee, the two men confronted the issue head on. As it soon turned out, it wasn't so much a straight manpower question. Being able to find enough recruits on a given planet to man one _Venator_ wouldn't be that hard. It was having enough _experienced_ men to man a fleet of _Venators_ that was the hard part. It was making sure there were enough qualified officers and NCOs that was going to be difficult.

The obvious solution was to split the crew of the frigates in half, assign half the men to the new ship to give it a core of trained personnel and assign new recruits to both ships. Except that their _Nebulon-Bs_ only required about 750 men. One tenth that of a Star Destroyer. Assigning half the men wouldn't even _begin_ to make a cadre crew for one. Even assigning half the men from each ship to a single Star Destroyer would only give them about twelve hundred personnel out of a required seventy-five hundred.

After much discussion, and just before they exited hyperspace, the two men reached what they believed to be a workable plan. They needed a training academy. The hundred or so personnel who were no longer fit for active duty with the fleet could help set it up. It would be fairly light duty for them, and give them a sense of purpose. It would also help morale on the ships by letting experienced personnel rotate to Tython for "shore" duty. Thus, giving them more slots to train new recruits. The new training academy would not only train men in the basics of the fleet, but would also be on the lookout for personnel who showed leadership potential for possible promotion to the NCO and Junior Officer ranks.

As they were discussing the details of what they would get set up, Captain Rex came in to inform them that they were about to drop out of hyperspace at Mandalore. Having overheard what the two Senior Officers were discussing, he offered the suggestion of trying to hijack an _Acclamator_ -class Assault Ship. It required less crew than a _Nebulon-B_ but could house up to sixteen thousand additional personnel plus equipment. It would make an ideal mobile training academy, as they could install classrooms and simulators in the equipment bays to train the recruits while also giving them real world experience onboard an actual warship. Not to mention that it could ferry enough men to crew two _Venators_ and another _Acclamator_ in a single trip.

Anakin slapped Rex on the back and smiled at the Captain, "Rex, that is exactly the kind of idea we've been looking for for the past eight hours. And you came up with it in about thirty seconds. Thank you." Rex just gave General Skywalker a grin and a sharp nod of his head.

Turning to Commodore Sykes, Anakin said, "Well, looks like we may be raiding some of the graveyards sooner than we thought."

Jedi Knight Etain Tur-Murken stood on the bridge of the _Protector_ , the former _Enforcer_. She was a storm of emotions as the ship dropped out of hyperspace and Mandalore came into view. While she was overjoyed at seeing her family, especially her husband and son, she was also worried. They didn't have the highest opinion of the Order as a whole. And what they were about to propose may not go over very well. But if it did...

She was silently reciting the Jedi Code to herself, particularly focusing on, _There is no emotion, there is peace_. Yeah, right, she told herself. She still didn't know what she was going to do when she got there. Leave the Order to stay on Mandalore? Convince Kal, Darman and the rest of Clan Skirata to join with her and the Jedi? She wouldn't know until she was actually there. Until she could hold Venku in her arms again. How long had it been since she had seen him? Months, at least. Would he recognize her? She did her best to maintain her Jedi calm, at least externally, but if she was being honest, she knew she was fidgeting and was hardly what people would picture when they thought of a Jedi. Right at this moment, she honestly didn't care.

Kal and Darman Skirata stood in the open watching the shuttle approach. If this was a trap, they were dead men. For that reason, Kal had tried to convince Darman to stay hidden with the Nulls and ARCs as part of the ambush they had laid to ambush the ambushers. But the look he had gotten from Darman was enough to practically freeze his blood, and that was saying something considering that nothing in the last thirty years had ever done that to him before. Darman was apparently determined to be the first to see Etain, or die in the process.

As the shuttle shut down in a cloud of dust, the two Mandalorians stood with blaster rifles cradled in their arms, waiting for the shuttle doors to open. As the door slowly lowered to the ground, Darman felt his heart rate spike, his throat get tight, his hands get sweaty. He hadn't felt like this since First Geonosis. All of that went away though as he saw Etain appear at the top of the ramp. The two rushed at each other the second they saw each other. Flying into each other's arms they held each other close, as if they were the only two people in the entire galaxy. While they embraced, the rest of the Jedi and Captain Rex and his men walked the down the ramp as well.

Seeing that it wasn't a trap, Kal gave his boys the all clear sign and they came out from cover cradling their weapons. Warily eyeing the Jedi and men of the 501st, Kal invited them all to his home to sit and discuss what they came here to discuss.

Two hours later, Kal Skirata didn't know whether to be mad, impressed, happy or sad. Maybe he was all of those and more right now. He was furious that the Jedi wanted to use his boys to fight the Empire. Hadn't they done enough already? Sacrificed enough? He was impressed at how many Jedi had managed to survive and that they had clearly already scored several victories over the Empire. The frigates in Orbit above them were proof of that. He was very happy to have his entire family back together with Darman's arm wrapped around Etain while she held Venku tight. He was also surprised to see that the Jedi seemed okay with this. Hell, General Skywalker had even brought his family with him to show that they were! And finally, he was sad and angry at the way the Empire had used the clones. Putting chips in their heads, forcing them to do the Empire's bidding, whether they wanted to or not. He figured he got lucky with his boys. Either the Nulls and ARCs didn't get the chips or they were far enough away from the Empire that they never got the signal. Either way, the Jedi offered to have their medical droid scan them for him to make sure they didn't have them and if they did, to remove them. For that he was grateful.

As it was, it was getting late. And he doubted they would come to any sort of agreement tonight. And the Jedi and the Senator agreed. This wasn't the type of decision that should be made after a single conversation. Besides, he would need a lot more from the Jedi before entrusting his boys to them. He would be lying if he said he wasn't intrigued by the possibilities presented here, but this would have to be a two way street. If the Jedi wanted his help and the help of his family, they would have to earn it. He'd spend the night with his boys deciding what they should tell the Jedi tomorrow.


	18. Chapter 18: Training and Trials

In the ruins of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Darth Aella fought her way through the Jedi Trials Chamber. Her new lightsaber gripped tightly in her hand. It's hilt was polished black obsidian with Sith runes etched into it. It's blade was blood red, darker even then her Master's. She had poured every ounce of her hate and rage into the formation of the synthetic crystal that powered her blade. The Dark Side had rushed through her as she formed her crystal. And she had channeled it into her crystal, imbuing it with the Dark Side itself.

The latest challenger thrown at her by the Chamber had just fallen after her blade had slid easily through it's back between his shoulder blades. The long dead Sith Lord she had just fought was an expert at Form II, but her power with the Dark Side had defeated it. The sheer power of her attacks through the Force and her use of Sith Sorcery had been its downfall. The same fate had been shared by all the Jedi and Sith she had fought before it.

To any observer, Darth Aella would appear, calm, focused, detached. The only sign of her connection to the Dark Side was the golden yellow glow of her eyes. To a trained Jedi or Sith however, she was a raging storm. On the outside, she rarely lost her composure. Even when deep in the throes of the Dark Side, she exhibited a curious detachment. Rarely visibly displaying any emotion. But on the inside, her emotions raged with all the fierceness of a storm on Dromund Kaas. The waves of her emotions were crashing within her. And she fed off of them. Using her hate to feed her rage. Using her rage to feed her hate. A limitless feedback loop continually increasing her power with the Dark Side.

As she stalked through the Chamber, she smirked to herself. These simulacrums were almost laughably easy for a true disciple of the Dark Side to defeat. Seeing another Jedi ahead of her, she paused. This one was different. Sinking into the Dark Side, she reached out with the Force. This was no simulation. The Jedi in front of her was very real. Apparently, her Master meant for this to be a true life or death test. She carefully gathered the Dark Side to her and weaved a shroud around herself. To anyone looking, she would appear as nothing but a shadow. Watching the Jedi before her, she saw him nervously gripping his lightsaber. His robes were dirty and tattered, torn in multiple places. This Jedi had been captured. And recently by the look of it.

Wondering why he hadn't been sent to Korriban to corrupt to the Dark Side, she buried herself deeply within the Force and sent the merest tendril of energy toward him. Her eyes opened wide at what she felt. He was immensely powerful with the Force, and utterly devoted to the Light. Even after everything he had been subjected to while imprisoned. That was surprising. Most who were captured, whether Jedi or not, showed some signs of despair. But this Jedi, he felt almost resigned to his fate. As if he knew that he was not long for this world, but was determined to remain true to his ideals. She had to admire him. Though he was only a weak Jedi, he was as utterly committed to his cause as she was to hers. He would be a worthy opponent. If she was foolish enough to give him a fair fight.

As she began to weave a Force Spell to crush his mind and rendering him into nothing more than a slobbering fool, he turned toward where she had concealed herself and ignited the green blade of his lightsaber.

The Jedi called to her, "Sith, I can feel you over there. Your "Lord" has sent you here to defile this place. He has sent you to your death. Know this, I am Jedi Knight Qu Rahn. And I offer you a choice: the Dark Side and your destruction. Or the Light and your life. One will lead you to untamed power. But it will also lead to a certain, solitary end. The other leads to a life that is full and rewarding, no matter the years in that life. You must choose." Finishing his speech,he stood ready and prepared to face the Sith.

Darth Aella had to admit, she was impressed. Oh, he was a misguided fool. But he was a _committed_ misguided fool. If she was less devoted to the Sith, or less firm in her own beliefs, he might have swayed her with the power of his convictions. As it was, they only made her pity the fool. She stayed silent, but let a small smile play across her lips. She was going to enjoy this.

Sending her spell toward him, she watched through the Force as it's thin tendrils slipped through the tiniest cracks in his defenses. Moving so slowly and subtly that the Jedi wouldn't notice until too late. She was grateful Lord Sidious had discovered her talent for Sorcery and forced her to develop it. She had rapidly gained a proficiency with the arcane skill. Which was good, as any one who tried to use Sith Sorcery without being fully committed to the Dark Side and the Sith would quickly succumb to their own spells. Just as she thought she was about to succeed, the Jedi seemed to shudder and force himself toward her. Gathering speed and power as he came.

Overcoming her surprise that he had detected her attack, she abandoned the subtle approach and used all her power to force her spell through the cracks she had found in his shields. She knew that this would make the spell less effective as she wouldn't be able to worm it as deeply into his brain, but she needed every advantage she could get. Aware now of the danger, the Jedi Knight tightened his shields. But not before she was able to infect him with her spell. She saw the moment it took effect, as the Jedi stumbled in his charge toward her and became slightly less coordinated in his movements. But he still retained enough control of his abilities that she would have to be careful. The Jedi would still be dangerous.

Launching herself into Form IV, the Ataru style compensating for her slight size and his longer reach, she flew through the air toward the Jedi. Her dark, blood red blade slashing down toward him. The Jedi moving his green blade to block. Their blades crashing against each other, Sith and Jedi fought throughout the chamber. Summoning Force Lightning into her palm, she let it feed up her lightsaber, the lightning wrapping around her blade, snapping out at the Jedi every time their blades met. The burns beginning to take their toll on the Jedi along with her spell. His movements began slowing, becoming more and more uncoordinated. The Jedi soon made a fatal mistake, being but a fraction of a second too slow parrying her strike, her blade slipped past his defenses and in an instant, the Jedi's head was separated from his shoulders. His body stood there for a moment longer before slowly crumpling to the bloodstained floor.

Holding her ready stance, Darth Aella reached out with the Force to feel for more enemies. After a moment, she powered down her lightsaber, clipped it to her belt and dropped to one knee. "What is thy bidding, my Master?"

Approaching his apprentice slowly, Darth Sidious said to her, "Evaluate your performance here, Lord Aella."

"Yes, my Lord." Furrowing her brow while remaining down on her knee, she thought through her entire fight. From the moment she entered the Chamber to the moment she powered down her lightsaber. "It varied Master. I defeated them all, but I faltered against the Jedi at the end. He detected my attack and substantially thwarted it. Against a true Jedi Master I would have failed."

"Good, my apprentice. You have progressed far." Sidious' tone then hardened, "But you have far to go. Your technique was sloppy. You should have been more careful. Against a Jedi like Yoda or Skywalker, you would have been killed almost instantly." At the mention of Skywalker's name, Sidious felt his face constrict into a snarl. The thought of Skywalker still infuriated him. His _one_ mistake. And the one mistake that had cost him dearly.

Turning back to his apprentice, Sidious motioned her to rise and the two Dark Lords of the Sith made their way out of the ruins of the Temple. As they walked, Sidious gave his apprentice her first mission. By the time he finished explaining, Darth Aella had apredatory glint in her eye.

On Tython, Ahsoka Tano sat deep in Meditation. The Council had deemed her ready for her Trials. This time spent in Meditation would be important to her when she entered the Trials Chamber. She would need all her strength and focus. Normally, Anakin, as both her Master and Jedi Battlemaster would be present for them. But these were exceptional times. And the Council, with Anakin's agreement, wished her to take her trials as soon as possible.

She was both excited and nervous. While she had a vague idea of what the Trials would entail, she wasn't completely sure. And neither Anakin nor Obi-wan could help her. As neither of them had gone through the Trials, both having been granted the rank of Jedi Knight through their actions in the field. The Council had offered the same to her as well, but when she had declined to return to the Order, she had declined the offer as well. She kind of regretted that now, she thought ruefully.

The next day, she would be tested as she never had been before. Master Koon was with her in the Meditation Chamber. During this time in Meditation, a Padawan was expected to dive deeper into the Force than they ever had before, so deep that it was not unheard of for Padawans to get lost in the Force and never make it back. Master Koon was there to help guide her back just in case.

In the morning, as she entered the Trials Chamber, all her senses were alive. As the first simulation began, she sank into the Force and leapt into action.

Nejaa Halcyon and his son Valin, along with Master Mundi, had just landed on Corellia. Several covert holocalls between Nejaa and his friend Rostek Horn had finally resulted in this clandestine meeting. The men and women of CorSec were _not_ happy with the Empire. Neither was Corellia as a whole. The Jedi were here to see what aide could be offered between the two groups.

The meetings were expected to last a week or two. In that time, Valin was to work undercover as a CorSec officer partnered with Rostek. For the time that he was here, Valin would go by the name Valin Horn, a cousin of Rostek's. Valin was quickly proving to be an astute investigator. Combining traditional CorSec methods (taught him by his father and Rostek) with subtle use of the Force, he was able to quickly crack several cases. In addition he was able to accomplish his real mission here, to gauge the average Corellians' feelings toward the Empire with several discreet inquiries. Rostek's reports turned out to be completely accurate. Corellia was grating under the Empire. Even their leadership was not happy with the New Order. But they were doing their best to provide enough lip service to the Empire to keep from being totally subjugated.

He also met Nyche. Calling it love at first sight would not be an understatement. He knew as a Jedi, even a Corellian Green Jedi, that he was supposed to keep a tight reign on his emotions. And that was even with the new Code. But he couldn't help but be swept off his feet by her. When the time came to return to Tython, Nyche would be coming with him.

Nejaa and Ki-Adi's trip was also highly productive. CorSec would begin quietly recruiting for the new Alliance Navy. They would send officers and enlisted to the Navy to be trained and train new recruits in turn to expand the Navy while the Jedi would send Master-Padawan pairs to Corellia to work with CorSec and receive training as Investigators. They would also be on the lookout for Force Sensitives. The first group of Officers and enlisted would be joining the fleet in two months.


	19. Chapter 19: Sparing

Obi-wan sat cross legged on the ground opposite his Padawan. He was attempting to guide Zett through a meditation exercise. This one in particular was to aide him with his farsight. Helping him to control the ability instead of visions just randomly appearing to him. So far, Zett was doing, fine, with it. Not exactly thriving in mastering the exercise, but not exactly failing it either. He was going to have towork hard with him on this.

For his part, Zett was getting slightly frustrated. Master Kenobi was extremely demanding. Constantly pushing him, not letting him give less than one hundred percent. He knew that this really was for the best, but it was still frustrating. At least Master Kenobi never compared him to Master Skywalker. Especially when they spared, he didn't. Which was good since, like Master Skywalker, he used Form V, and Master Skywalker was widely considered the finest practitioner of Djem So that the Order had ever seen.

"Focus, Padawan. Be mindful of your thoughts. I can feel your frustration and distraction quite clearly through the Force," Obi-wan said quietly. Obi-wan sighed inwardly. Zett was extremely talented, but easily distracted. It was definitely something that the two of them would have to work on. Fortunately for Obi-wan, he had plenty of experience in dealing with that from Anakin. Speaking of...

"Come to join us Anakin?" Asked Obi-wan, surprising his old Padawan who thought he had slipped up to the pair quite stealthily.

"No, Master. I was actually hoping to get in some sparing before we start our negotiations for the day," replied Anakin. "But I can see you're quite busy." Looking to Obi-wan's Padawan, he nodded his head and asked the young man how he was doing. After hearing his reply, Anakin shocked his old Master by what he said next.

"Allow me to give you a small piece of advice, Padawan. Master Kenobi is one of the finest Jedi alive. And one of the finest beings alive as well. Listen to him. Listen better than I did. There were many, many times where I let my own arrogance and pride blind me to what my Master was trying to teach me. Do that, and you'll be a far greater Jedi than I could ever be."

This frank admission from Anakin, who, by any standard, was one of the greatest Jedi in the history of the Order, was surprising to him. His old Padawan had truly changed in the six months since the Temple fell. Gone was the arrogant, emotional, somewhat impulsive, young man. In his place, stood a confident, assured, somewhat humble Jedi Master. Fatherhood, and no longer having to hide his marriage, seemed to make all the difference for Anakin.

Shaking off his surprise, Obi-wan stood and stretched. "Actually Anakin, I could use some time sparing. If you take some time later to help Zett refine his Form V technique."

"Gladly, Master." Turning to Zett, Anakin told him, "Come find me this afternoon when we break around midday. We'll work on it together."

"Thank you, Master Skywalker. I'll do that."

With that, both Anakin and Obi-wan shrugged off their cloaks and ignited their lightsabers. The duel they engaged in was almost legendary. Their blades moving so swiftly that they appeared to be nothing more than blue blurs of light. The sound of their blades flying through the air, crashing into one another blended into one long continuous sound. As the two Jedi Masters dueled, they slowly started to attract an audience. To the Clones, this was really nothing that they hadn't seen before. Though granted, they had never seen the two Jedi move so quickly, so fluidly, so powerfully before. To the Mandalorians, seeing the Jedi was somewhat eye opening. The two men fought with a combination of grace, speed and power that was rarely seen.

As their blades crashed into each other again and again, Anakin and Obi-wan appeared to become even more focused. Their strikes, feints and parries even quicker and more powerful. Though both men knew this was just a sparing match, neither wanted to lose and both wanted to win. After several more minutes, Obi-wan maneuvered Anakin to where he could seize a small area of high ground, giving him a slight edge. With a smirk on his lips, Obi-wan looked at Anakin and told him, "It's over Anakin. I have the high ground."

For his part, Anakin was sorely tempted to attempt a leap over Obi-wan. And if he was being honest with himself, before he became a father, before the fall of the Temple, he likely would have. His arrogance would have gotten the better of him. But now, he simply smiled, deactivated his lightsaber and bowed to Obi-wan. Telling him, "You won this round, Master. But you and I both know you got lucky." Laughing, he turned away and made his way back to where his and Obi-wan's cloaks were. Picking up his cloak, he noticed all the people that had been watching him and Obi-wan. "Sorry, I know we're late for our meeting, but we wanted to get some training in, and, well, we're both a bit stubborn and don't like to lose."

Nodding his head, Kal Skirata told him not to worry about. After all, no good warrior ever wants to lose. Even in training. This was likely the one area that Mandos and Jedi were exactly alike. As they walked slowly back toward the main house, Kal thought over what he had just seen and what he and his boys had decided on last night. As Mando'ade, they weren't exactly tired of fighting. But they were tired of fighting for the wrong reasons. If they were going to join with the Jedi in this fight, it had to be for the right reasons. Not just because they were bred to be cannon fodder for the Republic.

Sitting around the table in his house, Kal, his boys, the Jedi and Padme resumed their discussion from the day before. The first part was fairly easy, actually. The former Nulls and ARCs were willing to work with the Jedi. As long as they agreed to some conditions. The Jedi, for their part, were well aware that they would have to make some concessions and were more than willing to listen. Kal, speaking for his family, laid it out for them.

"First things first. My boys have the right to turn a mission down. If they think it's a suicide op, or the cause isn't worth dying for, they can walk away. I won't let them be used for cannon fodder like they were in the War, understand?"

Obi-wan, speaking for Council, quickly agreed. "That won't be a problem. As it is, the men in the 501st have that option now. It also extends to operations where they may be called into combat against their brothers. You're free to confirm that with Captain Rex. As the Second in Command of the Battalion, and it's effective day-to-day commander, he can verify the things that have changed and provide an unbiased opinion to you."

"Alright, we'll do that. Secondly. My boys, and every single man in the GAR are aging too damn fast. We've been looking for a way to slow it down. You want my boys to help, you help them live a full, normal life."

Anakin was the first to speak up this time. "You have my word. I want that as well. These men deserve that. Maybe some of our healers, combined with the research you've already done can make this happen. And if not, we'll keep looking until we do."

"Hmph. Well, I'll believe it when I see it. Lastly, I want to talk to a, a friend, of mine. He's trying to drum up support to throw the Empire off of Mandalore. And unlike some, he's not against accepting Jedi aide. Help him, and he might help you with a Mandalorian Army at your backs when you go to take on the Empire."

This time, it was Padme who responded. "What you say there has great merit. We would be more than willing to talk to your friend. Who knows, perhaps one day this will lead to a closer, friendlier relationship between the Mandalorians, the Republic and Jedi."

"Well, that might be putting the engine before the speeder," replied Kal. "But perhaps one day we could be friends. In the mean time, and as long as you meet your commitments, if my boys want to go with you, I won't oppose it. It's their call."

Looking to his boys, he saw them all nod. "Well, that settles it. Looks like you got yourselves some Mandalorians. Just don't make me regret this. These boys are my life. You don't hold up to your end of the deal, there aren't enough planets in the galaxy to hide you from me."

Master Fisto, who had remained quiet up to this point, nodded his head and told him, "You have our word. We won't rest until every single man gets a full life."

"Good. Cause you can start living up to that commitment right now. My friend is on his way. Should be here in a few minutes."

"Excellent, Mr Skirata," replied Padme, donning her Senator's persona. "We are eager to hear what he has to say."

Back on Tython, Seryana Ky was in one of the sparing rooms, a training lightsaber in her hand. She hadn't touched a lightsaber in years up until a few months ago. But then one day, Master Skywalker had walked up to her and her fellow pilots of the ExplorCorps as they were all sitting around eating lunch and told them that, as former Jedi Initiates, Master Yoda had decreed that they were all to be retrained in lightsaber combat. He had instructed them to report to the training room the next morning immediately after breakfast.

The next morning, when they had reported wearing traditional Jedi Robes instead of their flight suits, Master Skywalker greeted them warmly and told them to select a training saber from the case on the wall. She had briefly closed her eyes, trying to recall half remembered training, and tentatively reached out with the Force and felt a pull from one of the sabers. Taking it in her hand, she felt an instant connection with the crystal in the saber she had chosen. Smiling to herself, holding "her" new saber in her hand, she turned back toward the front and Master Skywalker.

Half the pilots had still been convinced that this was some sort of practical joke being played on them by the greatest prankster the Jedi Order had ever seen. Those who felt that way, however, were quickly disabused of the notion. Master Skywalker had quietly explained to them that, after the fall of the Temple, the Council had reevaluated many things about the Order. This was one of them. He reminded them that every person in this room was a Jedi. Whether they had ever been Knighted or not. They were Jedi, still.

To Seryana, that had been music to her ears. She had seemed almost to float to through the class after that. Her body slowly readjusting to the basics of Form I. Her muscles moving through the long forgotten motions, the emerald green blade of "her" lightsaber seeming to dance in front of her. As she moved through the various katas and velocities of the Form, she noticed Master Skywalker intently watching each student for a few seconds before shifting his gaze to another. Seeming to make mental notes as he went. He confirmed this after class by recommending to each student either additional practice in Form I to reestablish a base to build from or by recommending another form for the student to study and begin to specialize in. Most were told to continue to focus on Form I for now. Though a few, those that seemed to have a natural grasp of lightsaber use, were given advanced forms to study. She was one of those. She could still recall his voice as he had told her, "Jedi Ky, I'd like you to study Form II. You have a grace and flow to your movements that would be well suited to the Makashi style."

"Finished day dreaming, are you?" She heard fromin front of her. Blushing and ducking her head, she saw the slight form of Master Yoda before her. In Master Skywalker's absence, Master Yoda had taken over the class. Having the aged Grand Master of the Order yank you from a day dream was not a pleasant feeling. She had forgotten how often he had caught her day dreaming when she was an initiate. "Remember, I do, your day dreaming Seryana. Focus, you must learn."

Suitably chagrined that not only had Master Yoda caught her, but he apparently remembered her, she could only meekly reply, "Yes Master. It won't happen again."

"Hmph. Heard that, many times I have. Your stance, assume."

So Seryana did. She adopted the opening stance for Form II, expecting to be asked to demonstrate some of the form's sequences. Instead she was shocked to see Master Yoda call his lightsaber to his hand and move into the stance for Form IV.

"Defend yourself, you must," Yoda stated simply. With that, he leapt at her and began to spar and duel with her. Pushing her just enough to force her to put her all into the Form. To his mild surprise, she was actually quite good. Nowhere near Dooku's level as a swordsman, of course, but still, he would rank her as a more than competent Form II duelist. Done well, has Young Skywalker, he thought. Justified his faith in him had been.

During her brief session with Master Yoda, Seryana had been pushed to her limits and somewhat beyond. The Force seemed to flow through her far more strongly than it had ever done before. It was as if every move of her blade was a part of her. Her saber nothing but an extension of her own body. The precise thrusts, slashes and parries of Makashi seeming to flow together, one into the other seamlessly. Force, how she wished she had been chosen as a Padawan all those years ago. Not that she didn't love what she did now. It just kind of sucked is all.

"Of your feelings, be mindful my young Jedi," Yoda reminded her. Seryana could only grunt a response as she was putting all her physical exertion into her lightsaber. Her duel with Yoda ended shortly after when she was forced to admit to defeat to the Grand Master.

"No shame should you feel," Yoda told her. "Done well, you have. But focus, you must. If master this you do, unbeatable will you be."

Nodding her head at the compliment, Seryana replied, "Thank you, Master. I'll work on that."

Nodding his head, Yoda completed their instruction and dismissed the class soon after. Seryana was exhausted. She had never called upon the Force so strongly before or for such an extended amount of time. It had left her feeling drained. Nor had she ever engaged in a duel like that before. Most of the sparring she did with her fellow classmates was done at a much slower, more deliberate pace. And even then, her use of Form II generally ended the matches quickly, as Form I was distinctly unsuited to combating Makashi. Thinking on her day, she dredged up some of her earliest lessons from when she was an initiate from the recesses of her mind. If she was ever going to master her lightsaber, she would have to master herself. Having decided that, she made her way to one of the meditation groves, settled herself in it and, for the first time in a long time, began to meditate.

On Coruscant, Bail had been very busy. He had finally tracked down where Palpatine was training the increasing numbers of darksiders that were showing up throughout the Empire. A few were former Jedi. But most were simply beings that had been taken and broken to the dark side. Bail didn't pretend to understand it, but apparently the Sith could compress several years of training into several months. Well, when he put it that way, it wasn't really that surprising, was it? The Sith didn't give two credits whether a being lived or died during training. So why should they slow things down for anyone?

At any rate, he now knew that they were being trained on Korriban. He didn't know how many there were, but according to his security chief who had compiled all confirmed reports of Dark Jedi throughout the Empire, there were at least fifty. Possibly up to one hundred. What he didn't know was just how dangerous these beings would be going up against a fully trained Jedi Knight. In that regard, he could only hope and pray.

He knew he was taking an enormous risk with his activities, especially since Winter had accompanied him on this trip to Imperial Center, but it was something that he had to do. His own honor demanded it. Fortunately, he had the information now, and no one appeared to be wiser. All he had to do now was get it to the Jedi. This was fairly simple actually. The data was encoded deep within a random message to Corellian Engineering Corporation about some of their local patrol vessels. Upon receipt at Corellia, the coding would automatically reroute the hidden message through multiple relays and would get to the Jedi in a day or two. He prayed that they would be able to put a stop to this menace.


	20. Chapter 20: Intelligence

Tera Sinube hovered in his small shuttle at the edge of the system he had come to investigate. According to the information that had been acquired on Jedha, this was were all the Kyber Crystals were being sent. Surprisingly, there wasn't a great deal of visible activity here. He had been here for 3 days now, and had seen only a single cargo shuttle arrive along with some minor patrolling by a handful of ARC-170s. It certainly didn't give the appearance of a major Imperial station. He had expected quite a bit more activity. Especially for something of the size and presumed importance of the Death Star. _Perhaps Master Kenobi was correct that this was nothing but a false flag_ , he thought to himself. Deciding that nothing more was going to be gained by hovering at the edges of the system, he headed toward Eadu.

Upon his arrival on planet, Master Sinube began to slowly make his way toward the shuttle port that he had seen on his scanners upon entering the system. Using the Force to cloak himself in shadows and quiet his movements, he reached the outskirts of the port. There, mounted among the rocks and hidden by overhangs, he found numerous turbolaser emplacements. So many in fact that they rivaled the firepower of an _Acclamator_. _Maybe there was more to this place than meets the eye_ , he thought.

He next came upon the Hanger. Yes, there were the ARC-170s he had seen. But more to the point, there were another three squadrons of TIE Fighters in the hangers as well. _Why hadn't he seen any of these flying_? Resolving to continue digging, he moved on. Slowly and deliberately. Partly because of his age, but mainly because to do other wise would reveal him. From deep within the shadows he spotted what looked to the main entrance to the base.

As he slowly approached it, he saw two Stormtroopers standing guard outside it. But these troopers felt, different, than the Clones he had fought with during the war. Different than the men of the 501st as well. Ever so carefully reaching out with the Force, he very carefully probed their auras and their minds. They were Clones, yes. But somehow, different. They minds weren't as disciplined or regimented as the Clones he was familiar with.The men who had made up the GAR had minds like a durasteel trap. These felt almost fragmented, incomplete. Almost as if they had been programed without any time to build their own character or personality. It was odd. It was something he made a note of and resolved to look into later.

Using a simple Mind Trick on them, he slipped past and into the complex. Shaking his head, the only thing he could think was, _that would never have worked on the men of the GAR_. Moving deeper into the facility, he gently probed ahead of himself with the Force. He was in one long corridor with almost nowhere to hide if anyone should surprise him. Fortunately, he came across no one. This was good. As his mission here was purely recconasinse. If anyone even suspected that a Jedi was here, then his mission would be a failure. As the Empire would shift every last bit of whatever they were doing here to keep it away from the Jedi.

At last, he reached a bank of lifts. Upon entering, he found that all floors required key card access to move the lift. Sighing to himself, all he could do was shrug. This mission was going entirely too well. He had to hit a snag someplace. Better for it to be a stubborn lift than a squad of Clones gunning for him. Pulling out his slicer's kit, he began to gingerly slice into the control panel for the lift. After what seemed to be hours but was in reality only a handful of minutes, Master Sinube gave a small satisfied nod of his head as the lift agreed to take him to the floor he wanted. As the lift whisked him to his destination, the floor picked after feeling a slight nudge from the Force, he carefully repacked his slicing kit and folded his hands in front of him. As the doors slid open, he gathered the Force to himself and projected it in front of him to mask his presence. Of all his gifts with the Force, this was the one he was most thankful for. While it wouldn't hide him from someone peering intently at him, it did disguise him just enough that anyone glancing in his direction likely wouldn't see him.

Moving through the floor, he found several laboratories. Some appeared to be working on reactor designs, some on power distribution, some on what appeared to be weapon targeting. The main lab, he found at the end of the hall. Upon entering, he found what they were looking for. For there were all the schematics and diagrams for the laser. Along with how they planed to focus it through the Kyber Crystal, using the crystal to greatly augmenting the laser's power. But what really clinched it for him, was the being standing with his back to room, gazing out the window at the storm swept planet, his hands clasped behind his back. Moff Tarkin. He was speaking to a man in the uniform of an Imperial Scientist attached to the Imperial Navy.

"Now that the Emperor has placed me in command of this project, I will tolerate no further delays or attempts at stalling on your part Erso. The consequences would be, unpleasant. Not for you, you're far too important. But your family. Now there's another matter entirely."

Watching the man Tarkin was talking to, Sinube saw him almost physically deflate, as if the life and breath went out of him. His aura in the Force seemed almost to shatter, as if he had been utterly and irretrievably broken. "You win, Tarkin. You win. Just please, leave my family out of this. I'll build you your weapon."

"I knew you'd see reason eventually." Looking to the Stormtroopers at the end of the room, he told them, "Kill the wife, but leave the daughter for now."

" _YOU SWORE_!" The man roared at Tarkin. He was quickly restrained by several additional Stormtroopers.

Looking almost completely dispassionate, Tarkin told the man, "You're far too trusting. Let this be a simple demonstration for you. Your previous delays and moral quibbles that Krennic allowed you have now cost you your wife. Do it again, and they'll cost you your daughter."

The broken man collapsed to his knees sobbing, his face buried in his hands. Knowing that trying to do the right thing had killed his wife. That it would surely kill his only child if he persisted in doing it as well. He had no other options. Do what the Empire wanted, or be forced to watch as his beloved daughter, Jyn, was killed in front of him.

As Tarkin turned away from the man,he told the Stormtroopers, "See that Galen and his daughter are transferred to Geonosis immediately. We'll be able to keep a closer eye on his activities there. In fact, prepare to move all research there immediately. Krennic was a fool putting the designers so far away from the construction site. More proof of his inefficiency." With that, Tarkin strode quickly out of the room and to his personal shuttle to prepare for a return to his flagship, the _Executrix_.

Letting out the breath that he hadn't even realized he'd been holding, Master Sinube was simply shocked. The levels of brutality that the Empire, and specifically Tarkin, were willing to sink too was simply astounding. Six months ago, and Tarkin would be up before a Court Martial for casually ordering the execution of an innocent like that. But now, he wasn't even questioned over it.

As he watched the man he now knew was Galen Erso be led away by the Stormtroopers, Master Sinube was already planning the message he would have to send to the Council about this. The weapon was certainly confirmed and luckily he now knew where it was being built. Perhaps they could stage an attack on it now, cripple the project before it could even really get going. He decided to send the message from the base instead of his shuttle, but using the special code that rerouted the message multiple times before depositing it in a dead drop on the Outer Rim where a member of the ExplorCorps would retrieve it. This way, maybe it would spark an internal mole hunt and convince Imperial Intelligence that they had a traitor in their midst. Either way, it would certainly deflect suspicion away from the Jedi, at least for the time being.

Slipping into one of the unused labs, he quickly sliced into the communications system and prepared the message he would send. Entering the coding information, he took comfort in the fact that, even if the Empire saw the message on the system, the code would render the destination nothing but nonsensical gibberish. He had been assured before he left that the code was functionally unbreakable. As he finished typing out his message, he heard the sound of a lightsaber igniting behind him.

Darth Aella had watched on the security holocams as the Jedi had moved about the facility. He was good, she admitted it. Almost as good as she was at hiding her presence, something she was actively doing now. And had been doing for the last several days. Ever since long range sensor scans and fighter patrols had detected the shuttle. Fortunately her Master had ordered all sensors operated in passive only mode ever since the attack on Jedha. It was only upon her arrival at the station however that other, more concrete measures were put in place. Such as her restricting the patrols by the fighter wing. Using only the old ARC-170s instead of the TIEs, ensuring that if the Clones did see the shuttle, they would take no action other than to report it's presence once they returned to base. She wanted to lure the Jedi in. Oh, she could have easily called in the fleet her Master had given her and blown the shuttle to pieces. But then the Jedi would never find out what her Master wanted them to find out. The depth of her Master's plans and plotting was truly astounding. Something she would need to keep in mind when the time came to overthrow him and take her place as the true Dark Lord of the Sith and Galactic Empress.

Angrily shaking her head at allowing herself to get distracted by dreaming of a future years if not decades away, she refocused herself on the task at hand. As she saw the Jedi approach the lifts after entering the base, she very carefully began to weave her Sith Sorcery on the unsuspecting Jedi below. Remembering the last time she had tried to use one of her spells on a Jedi, she wove this one with infinitely greater care. She didn't need to crush her target's mind so much as she needed to gently influence him in his actions. Diluting his sense of time would help a bit as well. Make him feel as if the minutes were stretching out into hours. Nothing that would really give her an edge in battle, but it would play with the Jedi's head just a little bit. From the research she had done after the encounter with the Jedi in the Temple back on Imperial Center, she had learned that often times, weaving a smaller, less intrusive spell worked best to open up the Jedi's mind to further manipulation later. That would be the track she would take here.

Now, as she stood behind the Jedi, she felt a thrill of predatory anticipation. Despite the spell she had cast earlier, the Jedi had proved impervious to her further attempts to influence him. This was no mere Knight. This was a Jedi Master. A powerful one. Casting aside the shadows she had cloaked herself in as she ignited the red blade of her lightsaber, she gathered the Dark Side to her and prepared to kill the Jedi before her.

Turning slowly to face the threat behind him, Jedi Master and High Council member Tera Sinube looked upon evil itself. The human woman that stood before him reeked of the Dark Side. This was no mere Dark Jedi. This was a Sith. Drawing himself up to his full height, he unlatched his lightsaber from his sabercane and ignited his light blue blade. Few within the Order had a blade this particular shade. Using the Niman form, he held his lightsaber in one hand and the staff of his cane in the other. The Sith lunged in, making full use of the aggressiveness of Ataru, bounding and leaping about the room. Master Sinube fought a desperate action to hold the Sith off, using his lightsaber and the staff of his cane. The only thing that had saved him so far was the Sith was still raw, not fully trained in the use of the blade. Against a swordsman like Dooku had been he would have been cut down long ago.

As it was, he could tell his opponent was not familiar with fighting against a being wielding two weapons. Now, if only he could maneuver her into an area where she wouldn't be able to use Ataru to it's full effect. Spying a small hall leading off the main one they were battling down, Master Sinube gathered the Force to himself and unleashed a fury of blows upon the Sith, driving her back toward the hall. He wouldn't be able to keep this pace up for long. His body just wasn't capable of sustaining this speed anymore, even with the Force augmenting it. But if he could gain a tactical advantage, he might still prevail.

For the first time since the duel started, for the first time that she could remember, Darth Aella felt fear. _Real fear_. And it sickened her. Her fight had been going reasonably well, the Jedi was good, very skilled. Technically, he was better than she was. But she was faster, stronger, younger. Better able to sustain her strength, speed and abilities. She had seen several times when, if the Jedi had been quicker, he might have ended their duel, either by disarming her or outright killing her. But she was that split second faster that allowed her to close those holes in her defenses before he could take advantage of them. And each and every one taught her what not to do next time. Assuming there was a next time. Moments ago, the Jedi had suddenly launched into a flurry of strikes against her, his speed and power doubling in an instant. She was hard pressed to keep his attacks at bay and was forced to give ground to him. Thank the Force she was facing him now and not when he was in his prime. Or she would likely have been killed within minutes of the start of the duel.

As Darth Aella was pushed back more and more, she belatedly realized what the Jedi was doing. He was driving her into a narrow, low ceilinged hall where her use of Ataru would be constrained. She would be unable to use the acrobatics that gave her an edge. Thinking quickly, she once again began to call Force Lightning into her palm and let it coil up her blade. But the old Jedi was smart. As the Lightning began to lick out him as their blades met, he used the Force to seemingly effortlessly absorb the shocks and release the energy back into the Force. Feeling her fear once again begin to take hold as her Sith Lightning attack failed and she was driven into the hallway, she was disgusted with herself. She was Darth Aella, Dark Lord of the Sith. No Jedi could defeat her. Ruthlessly, she crushed her fear, turning it into anger, turning her anger into hate, her hate into power. Her yellow eyes glowed ever brighter with the power of the Dark Side rushing through her veins. She would not fall here. The Jedi would fall. By her hand. And soon after, the Order would be crushed.

Switching from Ataru, her preferred form to Soresu, Darth Aella steadily gave way to the Jedi before her. The third form was not her strong suit, too passive, too weak. But she was practical enough to make use of it's benefits. Particularly while fighting in an enclosed space. By using the defense she gained with Soresu, she would be able to wear the older Jedi down. And when she did, she would strike.

Master Sinube looked on as the Sith shifted to Form III. His gambit had failed. The Sith had realized what he was attempting and had changed styles to compensate. Already he could feel his strikes beginning to slow again. He knew it would be only a matter of time. The young girl before him was extremely strong in the Force, one of the strongest he had ever felt. With time and training, she would be nearly unstoppable. With that realization, Master Sinube resolved to redouble his efforts. The Sith must not be allowed to escape. Continuing his assault on the Sith, he drove her further and further. His blade flashing faster than it had in years. It wasn't enough. Ahead, the passage they were in widened out and opened into a chamber.

Darth Aella gloated. Behind her, she could feel the walls opening up, the ceiling raising. Switching back to Ataru, she attacked the Jedi with a rage and fury she hadn't shown before. Above her, the Force swirled in a storm, filling the chamber with the sound of lighting cracking and thunder rumbling. The air in the chamber got colder every second. A fierce wind began to blow, whipping her hair about her head. Darth Aella released her Force Storm upon the Jedi, battering him from every angle while she kept up her relentless assault on him with her lightsaber. At last, the strain of their duel took it's toll on the aged Jedi. His parry was too late as Darth Aella buried her lightsaber in the chest of the Jedi as she stood toe to toe with him. She stared into his eyes and watched as the light went out of them, as his fingers became nerveless and his lightsaber clattered to the floor. As she pulled her blade from his chest, the Jedi collapsed to the floor along with his lightsaber. She felt the moment his life left his body. With a rush, the Dark Side exploded out of Darth Aella, as she released it's massive power back into the Force, to wait for her to call on it again. Reaching down, she picked up the Jedi's lightsaber and examined it. It was a clever design. She would add it to the one from the Jedi she had killed in the Temple.

Making her way back to the communications room she had found the Jedi in, she pulled up the message he had been composing. She had interrupted him just before he could send it. At least _something_ her father and his band of fanatics had taught her came in useful. Her precognition was highly developed. Editing the message slightly, she sent it on it's way. She had no idea where it was actually going, but that didn't matter. Not yet, anyway. This was just phase one in Darth Sidious' plan.


	21. Chapter 21: Mandalore

The meeting with Fenn Shysa had gone pretty much as Anakin, Obi-wan and Kit had expected it to. Acrimonious, argumentative, mildly insulting and generally productive. In other words, a typical meeting with a Mandalorian. Padme, on the other hand, was a bit taken aback by it. Though she was as thoroughly experienced in her own way as any Jedi Knight or Master, she had never dealt with anyone quite like the Mandalorians before. Fenn seemed to get a great deal of amusement out of her attempts at speaking diplomatically. After several hours of this, Padme just gave up, called him a scruffy looking nerf herder, and asked him if he was interested or not. It was now three hours after they had finished and Padme was _still_ shaking her head at his reply. It had been simple, blunt and to the point: "Took you long enough to ask that. If you can do what you say you can, of course I'm interested. If you can't, then I'm not."

It was at that point that Anakin had jumped in. Even though he really hated the diplomatic back and forth that normally took place in meetings of this kind, he had a feeling that this would be just the kind of negotiation he would excel at. Put simply, he had offered to have the Alliance hit the main Imperial Base on the planet with their three frigates, while he, Obi-wan, Kit and Etain along with the two Padawans would join Fenn in an assault on it to throw the Empire off Mandalore. That is, if Fenn wasn't just a bag of hot air and could actually gather the warriors he said he could. That comment had nearly doubled Fenn over in laughter. After the obligatory glare at Anakin first of course. Nodding his head to the young Jedi, he assured him that he could. They agreed to spend the afternoon discussing strategy and where the ground attack would be launched from.

In the meantime, Anakin had an appointment with young Zett Jukassa to keep. Meeting him outside, he and Zett both shrugged off their cloaks and Anakin prepared to teach him the finer points of Djem So. Having him start with the initial katas and velocities of the Form, Anakin evaluated his performance. His initial read on the boy (" _And did I really just call him a boy?_ " thought Anakin, " _He couldn't be more than a handful of years younger than I am_.") was that he had the basics down pretty well. But that he had an inflated sense of exactly just how good he was at the Form. Internally, Anakin grimaced. Zett reminded him far too much of himself when he was a Padawan. What was it he used to think? That he could best Master Yoda while only a Padawan? Force, what an arrogant fool he had been. Of course, losing his arm to Dooku had seen to fixing that problem. At least when it came to his blade work. It took the near death of the Order to finally drive out the rest of his arrogance. Forcing his mind back to Zett, he could immediately see where the issue lay. While Shien and Djem So, the two variants of Form V, both emphasized strength, it wasn't supposed to be at the expense of speed and fluidity. Zett was far too focused on trying to put his maximum strength into each and every blow, which was making his form sloppy, leaving him open to quicker opponents who could get inside his defenses. His strikes were too slow, too broad. He'd really be in trouble if he ever had to defend against massed blaster fire.

Telling Zett to sit down, Anakin sat next to the young man and began to explain what he had seen to him. At first, Zett was a bit upset, bordering on angry. He really didn't like getting picked apart like this. But as Anakin continued, he realized that if the Battlemaster didn't point out his flaws in the Form, he'd never know what he needed to fix. That Master Skywalker was also _the_ authority on Form V helped too. He finally began to realize that he had been putting far too much emphasis on strength to the exclusion of everything else in his movements. Once Anakin finished explaining things to him, he had Zett take his stance again, but this time Anakin joined him. Standing opposite him, they both ignited their blades and Anakin began to spar with his young pupil, not nearly so fast or intricately as he had earlier that day with Obi-wan, but fast enough to push Zett to his absolute limits. And more importantly, showing him just how important it was to combine speed with power to take full advantage of Djem So.

Once their session was complete, Anakin pulled Obi-wan aside and explained what he saw when he worked with Zett. Obi-wan agreed with him completely, but had wanted Anakin to work with him just in case Obi-wan was being biased from getting used to how well Anakin used the Form. As Battlemaster, Anakin recommended intensive practice for Zett to help him clean up his Form. He also suggested working in some elements of Soresu to help him tighten up. Obi-wan readily agreed and the two men then made their way back to their meeting with Shysa. Though Anakin made a slight detour to check on his children first and spent a few minutes just watching them sleep. Just seeing their peaceful, sleeping faces brought home to him exactly why he was doing what he was doing. And just how much he very likely would have lost if he hadn't spoken to Yoda. He knew just how close he had come to the edge. All it would have taken was one more little push.Thankfully, that push never came. Instead, it was as if someone had grabbed his arm and pulled him back to safety. And just as he did every time he looked at his family, he swore to himself that never again would he ever approach the Dark Side. Having recentered himself, he made his way to the meeting.

The rest of the day was spent discussing the proposed attack on the base. It was odd for the Jedi. All three Masters had years of experience commanding formations of thousands of men. Yet, they were essentially taking a back seat here. Oh, all six Jedi on the planet would be involved in the fight, and so would the men of the 501st that had come with them. But it was no more than a token show of support in reality. Their real contribution was their fleet. By providing heavy orbital bombardment, it would give them a real chance at success. Assuming, that is, that the Stormtroopers on the planet didn't get off a distress call and summon heavy units of the Imperial Navy. At that worry being aired, the former Null Commandos just started to chuckle.

Cocking his head to the side, Anakin looked at them and asked, "What's so funny?"

Ordo, replying for all his brothers said, "General, blocking comms is child's play. We could do that before we were two years old. We could probably pull this mission off blindfolded. Not that we will, mind you. No sense giving the shinnies manning the base an opportunity for a fair fight."

Sensing the commando's eagerness at the prospect, Anakin, and the other Jedi, felt a bit of an internal chill. They had forgotten just how brutally efficient the Nulls could be. But this was war. And their skill set would be desperately needed. Especially in intelligence work. Through their bond, Anakin felt Obi-wan resolve to speak to Kal about it later. While none of them were under any illusions about just what would be required to win this war, they at least wanted to be able to say they had done the right thing in how it was conducted. As much as possible at any rate.

_

Three days later, the attack on the main Imperial Base began. Anakin had ordered Commodore Sykes to take the fleet in toward the Core, then jump back in system as if they were nothing more than a standard Imperial Patrol. Just as the ships reentered the System, the Nulls blew up the long range comm station for the base and began jamming all remaining Imperial frequencies. In a coordinated move, the fleet then executed a micro jump into orbit directly over the base and opened fire on it with everything they had. The impact of thirty-six heavy turbolasers on the base was awe-inspiring. At least to those that had never seen a properly executed Orbital Bombardment, anyway.

As the Mandalorians and the Jedi broke from cover and rushed toward the base, Fenn Shysa kept one eye on the Jedi. He found it extremely strange that they had all refused armor. Instead, they were all going into battle in nothing but their standard robes. Of course, once he saw how they moved, blocking shot after shot with their lightsabers, even redirecting the fire back at the Imperials, he understood their reluctance a bit better. Armor wouldn't do anything but slow them down. Just as he finished that thought, a blaster bolt zinged by his helmet, reminding him to pay attention to _his_ fight instead of the Jedi's.

The battle was long and hard. The Stormtroopers they faced might have been "shinnies" to use the veteran soldier's term for new recruits, but they fought hard. It was late that night before the last of the Imperial Forces either surrendered or were killed. But during the assault that finally captured the last redoubt in the base, Rex was hit. While his armor stopped the worst of the incoming blaster bolts, one found the seam in his armor over his right knee. The blast all but amputated his leg. Fortunately for him, a medic happened to be close by and got him stabilized and prepped for transport to the nearest med center.

As soon as Anakin saw what had happened, he rushed to his friend's side. Though not trained as a healer, Anakin did what he could with the Force. It seemed to help a bit. Or maybe Anakin just hoped it was helping. Either way, he knew the kind of pain Rex would be in right now if it wasn't for the sedatives he'd been given and the sleep suggestion from Anakin. Seeing his friend like this almost physically hurt. Anakin made a snap decision. He wasn't trusting Rex to some doctor he didn't know. He ordered Commodore Sykes to send down a shuttle. He'd have Rex treated on board the _Redemption_. Obi-wan probably wouldn't like it, but he wasn't about to risk Rex now. Not after everything Rex had risked to stand by his side during the Attack on the Temple.

_

It had been two weeks since the Battle for Mandalore took place. In that time, Mandalore had seen some significant changes. The Empire had been thrown from the planet. Fenn Shysa had declared himself Mandalore, and been accepted as such. And all the clans, with the notable exception of clan Fett, had sworn allegiance to him and pledged to fight the Empire.

In discussing the particulars of their new alliance, Fenn was insistent that Mandalore was an _ally_. _Not_ a member of the Republic. And that after this was all over, Mandalore would _remain_ free. Considering their other options, Padme, as the only true diplomat in the room, agreed. Mandalore would remain a sovereign, independent system. However, in exchange, Padme managed to get Shysa to agree to a unified command structure during the war. As long as the war against the Empire raged, Mandalorian Units would be under the overall command of the Republic. With the Republic obligated to come to Mandalore's aid if the Empire attacked the planet.

As the negotiations were concluding, Anakin slipped from the room they were being held in. He knew he really needed to learn to tolerate this aspect of being a Jedi, particularly now that he was not only a Jedi Master, but because he also held an extremely important post within the Order as Battlemaster. He would more than likely be called on to participate in these sort of negotiations many times in the future. But for now, he decided that he really didn't need to be there. Besides, he had somewhere more important to be. Rex was getting fitted for his new prosthetic leg today. And he'd be _damned_ if he was going to miss it. Rex refused to abandon him when he needed him, he wouldn't abandon Rex now.

As Anakin walked into the Med Bay on the _Redemption_ , he could hear Rex cursing at the med droids. _They_ _must be aligning the nerve sensors_ , he thought. He always hated that part of getting his prosthetic replaced. They really couldn't numb the stump much while they did that. He felt for Rex right now.

Poking his head around the door, he gave Rex a lopsided grin and said, "Hey. Welcome to the club."

The stream of profanities that flowed from Rex after that comment was impressive. Even for Anakin, who knew how to curse fluently in most of the languages in use in the Republic. The somewhat shocked and amused expression on his face only earned him a scowl from Rex. That in turn just made Anakin start laughing. At which point, Rex threw the comm unit that was next to the bed at Anakin.

Walking into the room, Anakin dropped into the chair next to Rex's bed and roughly squeezed his shoulder. "I know it hurts Rex. But if they don't get the sensors aligned with your nerve endings correctly, you'll never be able to walk normally. I had to go through the same thing when I lost my arm."

Gritting his teeth as the med droid hit a particularly sensitive spot, Rex replied, "General, you don't...have to tell...me how much it hurts." Pausing to let our a huge breath, he continued, "But if this kriffing droid isn't a bit more careful, I'm going to take it apart piece by piece and melt down what's left into a plaque for my wall in the barracks."

Laughing heartily, Anakin slapped Rex on the shoulder and told him that he had made that exact same threat to numerous med droids over the years. As Anakin sat with his friend, the droid carried on fitting Rex's new leg. Anakin spent the time chatting with him about some of their past missions together. It wasn't a perfect distraction, but it was better than nothing and seemed to help take Rex's mind off what the droid was doing. At least a little. A couple of hours later, and Rex had his new leg.

"Ready to give that leg a test drive?" asked Anakin.

Taking a deep breath, Rex replied, "As I'll ever be sir."

Helping Rex up out of the bed, Anakin kept his arm around him to make sure Rex wouldn't lose his balance. Nodding his thanks, Rex took his first tentative step. And immediately broke into a grin. Other than some residual pain from where the leg was attached, and that the med droid assured him would be gone in a few days, it was almost like he never lost the leg to begin with.

"How long until I can return to duty, General?" he asked Anakin.

"Couple weeks, probably," replied Anakin. "When I lost my arm at First Geonosis, that's about how long it was before the Healers cleared me to go back into the field."

"Good, Sir. I'd rather not spend a lot of time just sitting around if I can avoid it."

"Now _that_ , I completely understand Captain. Come on, lets get you to your bunk."


	22. Chapter 22: The Sith Rising

Back on Tython, two messages had just arrived. One was from Bail. The other was an alert from Master Sinube that a message was at the dead drop. In the Council Chamber, the eight members of the Council still on Tython reviewed the message from Bail.

"A trap, this could be," said Yoda. "But logical, it is. The home of the Sith, Korriban is. To train his acolytes there, makes sense, it does."

"It also explains how he has been able to corrupt so many, so quickly," offered Plo Koon.

Nodding her head and agreeing with him, Jocasta Nu said, "Korriban is steeped deeply in the Dark Side. I know of no other planets that have been so thoroughly corrupted by it."

"One other, only, do I know of," said Yoda. "A planet uninhabited it is. But a nexus for the Dark Side it is."

"What planet is that, Master Yoda?" Asked Shaak Ti.

"Dagobah, the planet is called. Strong in the Force it is. Upon it's surface, could many Jedi hide if needed. Hope, I do, that day never comes. But on Korriban should our attention be."

Speaking up for the first time, Cin Dralig asked, "If we do decide this information is accurate, what do we do with it? We don't know how many Sith or Dark Jedi are there. We don't know if Sidious has his fleet protecting the planet."

At that, Master Va Zhurro spoke up, "I think it's a fairly safe bet that he has at least part of his fleet there. Sidious would be a fool to leave the planet undefended."

Nodding his agreement, Cin continued, "We also don't know how many Clones he has there. I would assume at least a legion. For us to attack Korriban, we would need to bring overwhelming numbers. At least several hundred Jedi. More if he has significant ground forces on the planet."

"Not to mention bringing a large portion of the 501st as well," added Aayla Secura.

"I'm not sure hitting Korriban at this time is practical," said J'oopi She'. "The Order has been weakened severely from the War and Palpatine's betrayal. Do we risk what strength we have left by attacking such an obvious target? The attacks we have launched already have been on relative backwaters. And on Kashyyyk and Ryloth, we could count on the support of the local population. But not on Korriban. That is the heart of Sidious' order."

Yoda, not liking what he was hearing from his fellow Jedi, spoke up. "Defeat, I am hearing in your words. Defeated the Order is not. Sworn to destroy the Sith we are. Do that by sitting still, we do not. Gaining strength, the Sith will be. If wait longer, we do, harder our task will be. More bloodshed, I do not wish. But destroy the Sith, we _must_."

A feeling a embarrassment swept through the High Council Chamber at Yoda's words. The assembled Jedi Masters all realized that Yoda was right. The Order had most definitely been weakened. Weakened badly even. But they had been speaking as if the Order had already been defeated.

"You're right, Master Yoda," said Master Koon. "We are not defeated. And the Sith will never be weaker. But any attack on Korriban carries with it grave risks."

"Know this, I do. Argue not for a blind attack, do I. But attack, we must. Allow the Sith to build their strength, we cannot. For a thousand years, turned a blind eye to the Sith we have. Assumed we did that defeated the Sith were. No more. Gradually, cast aside our role of guarding the Republic from the Dark Side, we did. Too easily believed we did that the Sith, return, they could not. Wrong we were. Destroy the Sith now we must. And on guard for their return we must ever be."

The truth of Yoda's words resounded deeply with each and every being in the Council Chamber. Had they already forgotten the lessons that the Fall of the Temple had taught them? Were they so ready to simply give up, stay in hiding and let the Sith rule the Galaxy unopposed because of their complacency? The Council Chamber was silent as the High Council contemplated exactly what Yoda's words meant for the Order as a whole and for them individually.

Finally, Master Ti spoke up. "You're right, Master Yoda. For too long has the Order been complacent and let the Sith manipulate the Galaxy to their benefit. It seems that it is more difficult to shake that complacency off than we realized. As Jedi, each and every one of us took a vow that we would do out utmost to destroy the Sith and root out the Dark Side wherever it may be found. Now it is time for us to live up to that vow."

"Beyond time," said Plo Koon. "I too have been guilty of this. For too long have I been far too content to simply be carried along in the current. The Order must take up the mantle of Guardians against the Dark Side once again. And to do that, we must destroy the Sith." Turning to Jocasta Nu, he asked her, "What information do we have on Korriban? I seem to recall that the Order at one time did try to cleanse the planet."

"A very long time ago," replied Master Nu. "And without success, I'm afraid. The planet has been corrupted to it's core. Any Jedi sent to attack the Sith there must be exceptionally committed to the Light. The pull to the Dark will be very strong there. Any who are sent that have even the slightest doubt will be vulnerable."

"Hmmmmm, trust we must show. Showed trust I did in Anakin, rewarded me, he did. Show trust in all our Jedi we must. Our trust in them, anchor them to the light, it will," stated Master Yoda.

"Master Yoda, while I agree showing trust in Anakin resulted in anchoring _him_ to the Light, isn't it foolish of us to believe that will be the case for _everyone_?" asked Master Dralig. "After all, we trusted Palpatine, and he betrayed that trust in the worst possible fashion."

"The Sith, our Jedi are not," replied Master Yoda, an edge of durasteel creeping into his voice and his eyes hardening. "Worthy of our trust are the Jedi in our care. If expect them to place their trust in us, our trust in them is also to be expected."

Suitably chastised, Master Dralig nodded his head in acquiescence to Master Yoda. The rest of the Council as well agreed, reluctantly, with Master Yoda. While betrayal was the way of the Sith, it was not the way of the Jedi. And if the Order was to survive, they would have to show trust in all their Jedi. The Jedi present all, finally, agreed that an attack on Korriban must be made. Once the rest of the Council was gathered together on Tython again, a final decision would be made.

On Korriban, Darth Sidious walked the halls of the newly repaired Sith Temple. A number of slaves were still completing repairs, but the building was finished enough to be used. His Sith Acolytes would be moved into the Temple from the temporary barracks later today. Sidious reveled in the power of the Dark Side in this place. The Temple was designed to channel the dark energies of the Force from the planet into a powerful Force Nexus. Enhancing the power of those committed to the Dark and corrupting those in the Light. It's power was already manifesting itself in the slaves here as they were slowly corrupted, allowing Sidious to feed off their Force Energy, enhancing his own abilities.

The ability to drain the Force from a being was one of the rarest abilities a Jedi or Sith could command. For the Jedi, it was considered a prohibited skill, known only by the most powerful and committed of the Masters such as Yoda. For the Sith, the skill was no less rare. But for entirely different reasons. No Sith Lord would willingly teach his apprentice how to incapacitate him in a fight. Not if he wished to live, that is. If a Sith wanted to learn the talent, they had to learn it on their own. It was his ultimate trump card. He had spent years refining the technique on beings he had kidnapped from the underlevels of Imperial Center. Beings that no one would miss. Most were common, non Force Sensitive beings, though a handful were Force Sensitive. Untrained, but still connected to the Force. The skill not only weakened, and in some cases killed, his opponents, but strengthened him simultaneously. He had only ever used it in combat against those he had captured. Which, granted, they weren't much of a challenge, but he couldn't afford to use it against a Jedi. Not without revealing his power. If he could, he would never reveal this power until Darth Aella challenged him for supremacy of the Sith. And then, only if he had to. Unfortunately for him, the currents in the Force were hinting to him that he might not have that luxury. In fact, they were the entire reason he was on Korriban at all.

While he had been planning a trap for the Jedi ever since they had discovered his plans for the Death Star, he was starting to get disturbing tremors in the Force. A warning that things were not well. And they seemed to be centered on Korriban. And for that reason, he was here. He had planned to ensconce himself at the top of the Temple, where the Dark Side was strongest and root out the source of these tremors. So far, no matter how much he tore at the fabric of the Force and tried to impose his will on it, the Dark Side refused to show him what he needed to know. Only now was he realizing just how far the ripples were spreading from his failure to turn Anakin and completely destroy the Jedi when he had the chance. Just thinking of Anakin was enough to make him _seethe_. When he had encountered the boy on Naboo, he _stank_ of the Light Side of the Force. Not even a _hint_ of the darkness that had been within him before. The darkness he had spent _years_ coaxing into existence until it threatened to swallow the boy completely. Only to watch him get snatched back into the Light and into the Jedi just as he was about to wrap his claws around him completely.

The _only_ good to come of that disaster was the unlimited source of anger and rage it gave him to channel the immense power of the Dark Side within him. He was currently bottling it up within him, holding the power inside him until he could unleash it upon some being worthy of his rage. Unfortunately, all the targets he _wanted_ to attack were out of his reach at the moment. The Jedi had pulled a vanishing act that was unsurpassed. Oh, he certainly had ideas as to where they had gone. Certain planets that featured in the Order's history. Ach To, Dantoine, Ossus. Even Tython.

Ossus he had ruled out almost immediately. The planet had been largely destroyed thousands of years ago. It was barely capable of sustaining the most basic life forms. Still he had checked it out. The planet was deserted. Dantoine was the same. The ruins of the Jedi Temple there were empty, no sign that they had been disturbed in hundreds of years. Ach To had been lost to history. No one knew if the planet still existed. Or even if that was the current name of the planet. It would be an ideal hiding place for the Jedi. And was where Sidious believed the Jedi to have gone. The Jedi likely had information that was not available to the rest of the Galaxy. Information that had probably been stored in the Jedi Archives. The Archives that they had wiped clean before he could capture them. Of all the likely options, that left Tython. But after not one of the ten scout ships he had sent to penetrate the Deep Core had returned, had not even sent in a single report, he had, reluctantly, accepted the fact that the hyperspace routes to the planet had indeed collapsed.

Until he could find the blasted Jedi, he had resigned himself to bringing the rest of the Galaxy to heel. And training his new Sith Order. So far, he had managed to corrupt a dozen Jedi to the Dark Side. And numerous other, less well trained, Force Users. As a whole, they didn't have a prayer of standing up the Jedi Order. Not if the Order attacked in force. Something Sidious was keenly aware of. That was why he had stationedt he entirety of the 7th Sky Corps, since renamed the 7th Imperial Corps, on the planet. They had taken heavy losses in the assault on the Temple, but he had ordered them built back up to strength as soon as possible. Now, they were the primary security force for the Sith Temple. While he remained on the planet, the local forces were also augmented by his Royal Guards. He was confident that they would be able to thwart any attack by the Jedi.

Sidious himself would also be present. He actually smiled a bit at the irony of it all. For decades he had despised lightsabers. He felt that they were beneath a true master of the Force. That the Sith as a whole had outgrown them. But since taking power as Galactic Emperor, he had used his lightsaber more then ever. He had to admit, the glowing red blade did inspire a certain level of fear in those he faced. He still hated having to wield his lightsaber though. It was a constant reminder to him that he was still fighting a war against the Jedi. That they were still out there, haunting him, challenging his rule. Until the Jedi were nothing but dust, he would have to carry his blade. Grimacing to himself, he resolved to continue digging into the Force to find the source of the tremors he was feeling.


	23. Chapter 23: Advances

"General, the fleet is about to drop out of hyperspace above Raxus Prime," said Commodore Jarid Sykes.

Opening his eyes slowly and looking up from the mat he was meditating on, Senior Jedi General Anakin Skywalker acknowledged the report and slowly stood, stretching after spending the last several hours in meditation. Ever since the twins had been born, he found himself meditating more often. Raising twin Force Sensitive children was difficult enough. Raising children that combined his and Padme's personalities was almost impossible. They were both suffering from a distinct lack of sleep and rest. Meditating helped to refresh him, often times even more than sleep did. He had even taught Padme the basics of meditation with the Force. Once she was off Tython, she wasn't really Force Sensitive, but was aware enough of the Force for it to be useful to her in things like meditation and sensing being's moods and ferreting out deception.

Walking out onto the bridge of the _Redemption_ , Anakin asked for a status update on ship's systems and to ensure they were at battle stations when they reverted to realspace. Raxus Prime was a junk world. It was where old ships, droids and tech went to die. However, it was also used as a storage yard for decommissioned ships of the Imperial Navy. According to Commodore Sykes, the Navy was retiring _Acclamator_ and _Venator_ class starships just as soon as new models could be introduced. The earliest members of both these classes were now approaching between ten and fifteen years of age, having been built at the same time the GAR had been ordered. They were here to "borrow" an _Acclamator_ to use as a training academy.

Master Kenobi, along with his Padawan and members of the 501st and the Commandos, would lead the assault to capture one of the ships. Master Fisto, his Padawan and the rest of the 501st would be in reserve in case resistance was stiffer than expected or a diversion was needed. Anakin would remain with the fleet and provide fire support, suppression of defenses and interdiction to keep Imperial ships and fighters away from the strike force. Once Master Kenobi secured one of the ships, all three frigates would have shuttles standing by to ferry roughly two hundred and thirty personnel from each ship to the prize, giving their prize a full complement. Master Kenobi would then jump the ship to hyperspace and bring it to Corellia to be refitted by CEC. Supposedly under the guise of an Imperial Contract, the documents had already been forged by collaborators in both CorSec and CEC.

The attack went smoother than anyone had a right to expect. The boneyard they were raiding had very little security, one ageing CR70 Corvette that the _Redemption_ disabled in under three minutes, a half squadron of Z-95 Headhunter fighters and a dozen _Theta_ -class shuttles for maintenance and the transport of the security force. The _Protector_ took care of those. Her brilliant green bolts of energy lancing out to blow up the shuttles as they left the surface. That left the _Defender_ to take on the Z-95s. Her turbo and quadlasers were busy engaging them, laying a blanket of fire between the fighters and their strike force, preventing them from attacking. Eventually, the last of the Headhunters was destroyed just as the shuttles were leaving the frigates for the _Acclamator_ that had been captured.

As soon as the crew had been transferred, they began the process of starting up the assault ship. Fortunately, she had been laid up with her fuel tanks topped off. They'd be able to reroute several times to hide where the ship came from. They were taking several shortcuts in the power up procedure as they didn't want to stay there for longer than they had to. Two hours later, and the captured _Acclamator_ along with the other three Jedi ships jumped to hyperspace. The _Acclamator_ would be arriving at Corellia in five days. The frigates headed back to Tython.

_

Jedi Master K'Kruhk, recently released from the Halls of Healing in the Temple, peered through the trees of the farming planet he was on. The planet was known as a source of Kyber Crystals. That his first mission back on active duty after being grievously wounded on Jedha was another mission to secure Kyber Crystals before the Empire did brought a brief grimace to his face. But he was a Jedi. And once he had learned what the Empire planned to do with the Kyber, he had readily accepted the mission. Thinking about Jedha did sadden him though. So many Jedi fell that day. And Master Hett was still not cleared for active missions. His spine had been shattered, and even healing trances and submersion in bacta couldn't heal him overnight. It would be some months yet before he was well enough to leave the Temple. Wrenching his mind back to the mission at hand, Master K'Kruhk surveyed the farm below him. It was a quiet, peaceful place. If he wasn't a Jedi, it was the kind of place he would very much have liked to live himself. It also sat directly over the only known source of Kyber on the planet.

Rumors in the nearby town said that the occupants of the farm were very vocal in their criticism of the Empire. But only a fool would base his movements on rumors. Smiling ruefully to himself, K'Kruhk decided he was a fool. Because he was planning on doing exactly that. He was going to openly walk right up to this farm, _as a Jedi_ , and ask for their help. Of course he had another seven Jedi still hidden in the woods, just in case. But he truly felt that they wouldn't be needed. The Force was reassuring him that he was making the right decision here. He stood, straightened his robes, and walked confidently toward the farm below.

_

Inside the farmhouse, a young couple stood nervously. The being walking toward them _looked_ like a Jedi. He was certainly dressed as one. And that was _definitely_ a lightsaber at his belt. Normally, they would have opened their door wide to a Jedi. But they had been hearing far too many disturbing reports of beings who used the Force just as the Jedi did, but served the Empire. They were also indescribably cruel in all the reports they had heard. How could they be sure this being wasn't one of those?

"I think he may actually be a real Jedi," whispered the man.

"How can you be sure? He could just be trying to trick us because of what we've been saying," replied his wife.

"Why would they need to trick us? We're not soldiers. We're common people. If this was one of the Emperor's minions, he would have just smashed the door in and either arrested or killed us. What could we do to stop someone like that?"

The wife sighed and nodded her head, knowing that her husband was right. If this was one of those dark Force users, there was nothing they could do about it. Nothing, but accept their fates. As the maybe-Jedi knocked on their door, she and her husband shared one last look before he moved and opened the door.

"Can I help you?" the husband asked.

"Yes, you can. My name is Jedi Master K'Kruhk. I was wondering if we might sit and talk for a bit. There's a matter that the Jedi Order would like your help with."

Letting out a huge sigh and visibly relaxing, the man nodded his head and with a welcoming motion of his arm said, "Of course, Master Jedi. Please, come in."

With a brief bow, K'Kruhk offered his thanks and entered the small but comfortable home. And abruptly stopped. Looking at the young couple, he asked, "Is there anyone else in your home?"

Looking at each other with a mixture of alarm and confusion, the wife finally responded. "Yes. Our son. He's in his room in the crib, sleeping. Why?"

"May I meet your son, please? If it's not too much trouble?" asked K'Kruhk.

"Let me see if he's awake," said the husband with no small bit of confusion. After all, why should a Jedi Master want to meet his infant son?

"You have my thanks," said K'Kruhk.

"Master K'Kruhk, may I ask why you want to meet our son?" the wife asked.

"Oh, I apologize for any confusion I may have caused. But when I entered your home I sensed the presence of another being here. One that has a strong connection to the Force. I must confess, at first, I though this may have been a trap and I was about to find a Sith waiting for me here."

As he spoke, K'Kruhk watched the woman's face. First shock then anger crossed it as he provided his explanation. Before she could reply, her husband reappeared. Carrying a small bundle in his arms that most definitely was not asleep. Instead, the infant was staring at his visitor with eyes wide open. K'Kruhk chuckled as he realized that he was very likely the first being the child had ever seen who was not human. It was just the child's misfortune that Whippids were considered some of the fiercest looking species in the Galaxy. Especially when they showed their teeth in anything approaching a human grin. Mindful of that, he carefully kept his facial features neutral.

Reaching out with the Force, he gently caressed the child's Force Signature. Doing this, he confirmed his initial reaction. The child was amazingly strong with the Force. Stronger than many that had been brought into the Order in recent years. This caused another thought to cross his mind. _Perhaps this was how the Force was nurturing the Order?_ First with Young Skywalker being found with the highest midiclorian count ever, then his children being born with identical counts to his. Then Master Yoda finding young Galen Marek who's count was just slightly below Master Yoda's. Now this young child. He hadn't done a blood test yet, but his initial impression was that he would be a very powerful Jedi.

Realizing that he must appear a bit odd just staring at the infant, Master K'Kruhk refocused his gaze on the father and said, "I apologize. But as I was telling your wife, when I entered your home I sensed a very powerful Force User here. Your child is very strong with the Force. I was measuring his aura just now and, judging strictly from that, he could be one of the more powerful Jedi in the Order. Perhaps that is something we could discuss in addition to my other business here?"

Looking somewhat puzzled, the father nodded his head and motioned to the couch. As they sat down, Master K'Kruhk asked him what his name was. The man replied, "I'm Ephraim Bridger. This is my wife Mira. And our son, Ezra."


	24. Chapter 24: The Will of the Force

Obi-wan Kenobi was worried. His ship, the captured _Perseverance_ , was deep within Imperial controlled space. And had been for some weeks. After leaving Raxus Prime, he and his men had plotted several random jumps to thoroughly disguise where they had come from and where they were going. After several days, they had plotted a course for Corellia. Upon arrival, they were directed straight into one of the Orbital Dry Docks and the ship's long overdue overhaul was begun. All using counterfeit orders sliced into the system by their friends within CEC and CorSec. Things had been proceeding very smoothly. The engines had been completely overhauled, the weapons had been brought back up to spec, her computers brought up to the new standards then being introduced to the Fleet and her equipment storage bays replaced with training rooms, simulators, mock ups and various other training aides.

None of that was what was worrying Obi-wan. What was worrying him was a tremor he felt through the Force. It was a warning of danger. But, like all those years ago above Naboo on theTrade Federation flagship, the danger seemed to be elsewhere. Elusive, almost. He had a bad feeling about things then, and he had a bad feeling about things now. How he wished he could pin down this feeling. It was putting him on edge. Of course, the brand new _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyer that had just entered orbit the day before wasn't helping either. It wasn't just the Star Destroyer though. There was something about this one. It felt, off, somehow. Almost malevolent. But the threat wasn't directed at him. It wasn't even directed toward the Order. Not that he could tell, anyway.

Using his contacts within CorSec, he found out that the Star Destroyer was named the _Malevolence_. Fitting, considering the feeling he was getting from it. And from the reports he had been reading about the atrocities the Empire had been committing. Nothing on the scale of Kashyyyk or Ryloth. Not yet, anyway. But a thousand little atrocities combined together, a village razed because one of the elders spoke out against the Empire's policies, a Senator from an insignificant world on the Outer Rim executed for refusing to sign over his planet's sovereignty. Or the increasing number of stories of infants, children and even adults torn away from their families by beings dressed in black robes and armor, their families killed out of hand for offering even the slightest resistance or voicing their displeasure. And in researching these instances, all the people taken were Force Sensitive. He had received a heavily encoded message from the Council informing him that Sidious had established a training academy on Korriban. So it was a good guess that these poor beings had been taken there. To indoctrinate them into the Dark Side and the Sith. It practically made Obi-wan sick to think of what Sidious was doing to those poor people.

Obi-wan was torn at the moment. The Council wanted him back on Tython as soon as possible to discuss their options regarding disrupting Sidious' training academy on Korriban. But _that ship_ out there was practically screaming for his attention. He couldn't seem to shake the feeling that whatever that ship was up to, he needed to find out what it was doing. If Qui-Gon had been here, he would have told him to, "keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs." He could practically hear his old Master saying that to him.

 _"That's because you are hearing me, Obi-wan."_ With a start, Obi-wan realized that the voice of his old Master wasn't just in his head. It was coming from right beside him! But, he couldn't see Qui-Gon Jinn anywhere.

 _"You won't see me, Obi-wan. I don't have that power. But I am here with you now, none the less."_

"Master?" Said Obi-wan. "How is this possible? I'm going insane, aren't I? The stress of the War has finally caught up to me."

Laughing, Qui-Gon told him, _"No, my old Padawan. You're not going insane. With the Force, all things are possible. Even the power to transcend death. The Code is not wrong. 'There is no death, there is the Force.'"_

"But why now? What's so important about now?"

 _"Now? Possibly nothing. Possibly everything. I am here only as a guide, Obi-wan. As I was your guide in life, so I continue in death. You were right all those years ago above Naboo. And I was a fool to ignore it. But here, now, I must urge you to focus on the Living Force. What is it that the Force is telling you must be done?"_

Lowering his head and stroking his beard, Obi-wan focused on the small nudges and eddies in the current of the Force. Letting the Force guide him, doing his bet to interpret the will of the Force. It was easier said than done. While the Force was no longer clouded the way it had been, it was still a very subtle thing to feel and understand. He felt the Force flow through and around him, he let it carry him in it's currents. And when he finally felt that he understood what the Force wanted him to do, Qui-Gon was gone. His old Master had appeared just long enough to once again guide his actions. This time by reminding him to act like a _Jedi_ , not a General. To rely on the Force, not his own reasoning. He would be forever thankful to his Master for that. Not only for the lesson, but for showing him that death was not the end. That a Jedi truly did become one with the Force at their death.

Making his way to the Bridge, Obi-wan poured over the status reports from throughout the ship. The ship's refit was ahead of schedule. All the major repairs had been completed. The conversion work had been finished as well. The only thing left was finishing some of the accommodations. Having decided to follow the will of the Force, he put the ship on notice to be prepared to break orbit with little to no warning. He then reached out to his contacts and arranged to be informed the moment the _Malevolence_ prepared to break orbit. Wherever that ship was going, Obi-wan was going to follow it.

_

As the _Redemption_ entered orbit above Tython, Anakin Skywalker stood on the bridge with his daughter in his left arm, his right arm wrapped around Padme and his son in Padme's arms. As much as things had changed for him personally and for the Order as a whole, coming back to Tython just felt right. It was a refuge from the madness of the Galaxy, from the evil that was the Sith, from everything that was wrong. It was a chance to rest and recharge. To plan their strategy and heal their wounds. But most of all, it was home.

After landing, the Jedi and all the men and women of the fleet made their way to their quarters in and around the Temple. Once he and Padme had the twins settled down, he made his way to the Archives. Ahsoka was there, studying. He was dying to find out if she had passed her trials. She had been very cagey in not revealing to him whether she had or not either through their bond or over the comm.

"Hey Snips. Long time no see."

"Skyguy! I mean, Master," replied Ahsoka with a nod of her head as she stood.

"Lets go for a walk, huh?"

"Yes, Master."

As the pair made their way out of the Temple and through the meditation groves, Anakin asked his Padawan how her trials went. To anyone watching, the fierce hug Anakin gave his student was all the answer anyone needed. The next night, in the Hall of Knighthood, the High Council and Anakin stood in a circle around Ahsoka and conducted her Knighting Ceremony. With their lightsabers ignited, Master Yoda began the ceremony.

"We are all Jedi. The Force speaks through us. Through our actions, the Force proclaims itself and what is real. Today we are here to acknowledge what the Force has proclaimed. Padawan Ahsoka Tano, approach and kneel." Lowering his lightsaber over her shoulders he continued, "By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, I dub thee Jedi, Knight of the Republic."

_

Seryana Ky was in the small passenger compartment of "her" shuttle. She was sitting on a thin pad meditating as she hurtled through hyperspace. She had personally been assigned a mission by the High Council. There was a dead drop in the Outer Rim that had a message she needed to retrieve. She had been specifically briefed by the High Council that this message was of the highest importance as it was a desperately needed report from Master Sinube.They had told her that she had been specifically selected for the mission as she was one of the best pilots the Order had. They didn't expect trouble, it was a simple retrieval mission after all, which is why _she_ was being sent and _not_ a full Jedi Knight. However, the fact that she had begun to rapidly advance in the use of her lightsaber was considered a plus in her favor for this mission. If trouble did come, they believed she could handle it. Master Skywalker himself had actually spoken up for her to the Council about her skill with the lightsaber. While he wasn't on the Council, he had been asked to sit in on this session to provide his opinion on who in the ExplorCorps would be most suited to this assignment.

She knew it was unbecoming of being a Jedi, even a lowly Jedi Explorer, to feel the sort of pride she did when she was asked to report to the Council for assignment on a _solo_ mission. But she couldn't help it. Standing in the center of the High Council Chamber surrounded by ten of the most powerful Masters in the entire Order _and_ the Battlemaster of the Order sitting in as an Honorary Member for this specific case brought back to her all the times she had dreamed of being a Jedi Knight. " _So_ this _is what it feels like_ ," she remembered thinking to herself. It was the proudest moment of her life. Once she had accepted the mission and fully understood the details, Master Skywalker escorted her out of the Council Chambers. However, instead of going back in, he told her, "My part in there is done as well. I was only asked to sit in to provide my evaluation of my students and who would be most suitable for this. I've seen you fly, and I've seen you fight. You're ideal for this. But, you're not ready yet."

Her expression must have been somewhere between bewildered and angry, because Master Skywalker had just started to laugh. Putting his hand on her shoulder he said, "Meet me in the Crafting Chamber this evening. Where you're going, you're going to need more than just a training saber."

Seryana's jaw had dropped open when he said that. Her shock at his pronouncement had only made Master Skywalker laugh harder than he already was. Once he had controlled his laughter, Master Skywalker had headed off to his small domain in the Temple's Training Wing. She on the other hand had a list of items to gather before tonight.

Later that evening, under Master Skywalker's guidance, she carefully disassembled her training saber and removed the crystal from it. Though this wasn't normal, the crystal in this particular saber had called to her and she and it had become attuned to one another over the months that she had been training. Having accomplished that, she began assembling her new lightsaber. With Master Skywalker being right there helping her with some of the more delicate adjustments. In particular with the final stage where the power supply, crystal and lenses all had to be aligned. This had to be done through the Force. And her control just wasn't good enough to do it on her own. So Anakin had meditated with her and guided her movements. When they had finished, her lightsaber lay on the table before her, its hilt was polished blue and gold while it's blade was a brilliant green. It's weight now lay heavily against her thigh as she sat meditating.

Her focus had improved immeasurably since she had begun meditating again. She still had a tendency to daydream but she could keep her mind sharp when she needed to now. Vaguely she heard a cockpit alarm sound, pulling her from her meditation. Rising and heading toward the cockpit, she saw it was the alert she had set to go off as she approached her destination. Dropping out of hyperspace, the desert world of Tatooine appeared in her viewscreen. As she brought her shuttle in to land at Mos Eisley, Master Skywalker's warning to her sounded again in her ears, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than Mos Eisley."

Rising from her seat in the cockpit, she ensured that her equipment belt was securely fastened about her waist and that her lightsaber was at her side. Wrapping her cloak around herself, she made her way to the dead drop hidden inside one of the local cantinas. Deciding to order a drink while she waited for the corner where the message console was hidden to be free, Seryana stood quietly at the bar sipping an Alderaan Twist. Unfortunately, when she had pulled out the wupiupi to pay, her cloak had opened just a hair too much and one of the patrons at the bar caught a glimpse of her lightsaber. For awhile, nothing happened. Fifteen minutes had gone by since then, and in that time, she had eased her way over to the corner she needed. Just as she finished recovering the message, a wave of ice washed over her. Turning toward the door, there stood a human male, dressed all in black with his face hidden by the cowl of his cloak. In his hand was a lightsaber.

Seryana felt her blood go cold. She was no Jedi Knight, no matter what daydreams she might have. Not that convincing the being opposite her of that would matter. She was still a member of the Jedi Order. And judging how this particular being seemed to be immersed in the dark side, that was all that would matter to him. Doing her best to release her fear into the Force, Seryana shrugged off her cloak, tucked the disk containing the message into a pouch on her belt and drew her lightsaber. The dark sider's mouth was just barely visible and upon seeing her lightsaber, he seemed to break into a somewhat feral grin. "My Master will be pleased when I bring him your head, little Jedi."

Declining to answer his taunts, Seryana ignited her lightsaber and, turning to her side while holding her lightsaber straight out towards her opponent, moved into the opening stance of Form II. The dark sider ignited his red blade and, holding his lightsaber in both hands above his head, moved into the opening of Form V. Using the Force to enhance her speed, her lightsaber flashed toward the Dark Jedi, his moving to block. Their blades crashed against each other. Seryana grunted. The strength behind his block was tremendous. Instead of fighting it, she rolled with the block. Spinning her body, she brought the blade of her lightsaber in low, aiming for his legs. Realizing his blunder, with his blade left high, the Dark Jedi leapt up and flipped over Seryana, bringing his blade down toward her. Getting her blade up quickly while dropping into a crouch, she flicked his red blade to the side and angled the tip of her blade up and watched it just caress the Dark Jedi's leg.

The would-be Sith hissed as the Jedi's blade bit into his leg. The wound wasn't serious. And he could compensate with the Force. Let the Jedi get over confident. He'd play up the injury, make the weakling think she'd seriously hurt him. Deliberately hobbling, he turned to face her, a grimace on his face, trying to project an aura of hopelessness. For the first time since the fight began, Seryana smiled at her attacker and said, "You're not fooling me, Dark One. I can sense the deception in you. You won't goad me into making a mistake."

Furious that the weak Jedi had seen through him, the Dark Sider flew at Seryana. Raining blow after blow down on her. Trying to batter her defenses down and land a killing a blow. But everywhere his saber went, hers was there to meet it. Turning his blade aside, redirecting his attacks, forcing him to expend more and more energy to control his blade. He began to sweat. Partly from the exertion, partly because the weakling in front of him was thwarting his every blow. And with every blow he struck, she would immediately riposte and force him back on the defensive. Growing desperate, he began to grasp tables, chairs and anything else not bolted down with the Force and fling them at the young Jedi, desperately trying to distract her. The first chair caught her square in the back and drove her to her knees. He gloated. The Jedi would fall. Now. His blade moved in for a killing strike, but magically her emerald green blade blocked his blow just centimeters from her skin.

Seryana was stunned by the force of the blow in her back. _Kriff_ , she thought, _why wasn't I paying attention_? Her skill in telekinesis was weak. She would have to rely on her lightsaber to defend herself. Just then, the Force _screamed_ a warning at her and before she could even consciously acknowledge it, her blade was moving to intercept the red blade of the Dark Jedi that was rapidly descending toward her neck. Catching his blade barely in time she poured all her strength into holding the block. Her fear began creeping back in. " _Why didn't the Council send a fully trained Knight with me_?" she wondered. " _I'm not trained for this! I'm an explorer and archeologist! Not a Knight_!" Her fear threatening to overwhelm her, the Dark One's half hidden face leering down at her, she lashed out with the Force, flinging a wave of power at him and throwing him halfway across the room. Getting to her feet, Seryana attempted to flee. All the while thinking, " _I'm not cut out for this. I need to get out of here_." The would-be Sith had other plans. Before she could make it halfway to the door, he once again stood in front of her. His glowing red blade in his hand, pointing directly at her.

"Awe, leaving so soon?" He taunted her. "But we were having so much _fun_ together. Won't you stay just _a little_ longer?"

Doing her best to control her fear, Seryana gripped her lightsaber tightly. So far, she'd been able to hold him off. But they were very evenly matched. She didn't know how much longer she could go on. Already she could feel herself wearing down. She was using the Force to refresh herself and augment her abilities, but how much longer could she keep this up? Trying to release her fear into the Force as she did at the start of the fight, she was only partially successful. She needed to end this fight. _Now_! Lunging in at her opponent, her blade angled for his left knee, he dropped his lightsaber low to block. It was what she was waiting for. Seryana suddenly changed the angle of her blade whipping it up in a tight circle. The Sith's lightsaber, with his hand still gripping the hilt, was suddenly flying across the room. A look of horror was on the Dark Sider's face as he registered what had just happened. Moving quickly before he could react, Seryana slammed the pommel of her lightsaber hilt into the side of his head and knocked him unconscious.

Breathing heavily and starting to shake a bit as what had just happened sank in, Seryana felt as if she was on the verge of tears. _Think, Seryana, think_! She told herself. She needed to figure out what to do now. The Cantina had emptied as soon as the other patrons had realized what was going on. Were there Stormtroopers waiting outside? Was the Dark Sider here alone? She didn't know. She checked behind the bar, but of course there no security holocams here. The patrons who visited this particular establishment didn't want any record of their comings and goings. Clumsily reaching out with the Force, she tried to feel if there were any beings out there directing hostile feelings toward her. No good. _Everyone_ on this dust ball felt hostile. Creeping to a window, she cautiously peered out. And breathed a massive sigh of relief. No Stormtroopers. Apparently, Sidious hadn't been able to extend his control out this far yet.

Clipping her lightsaber to her belt, she turned to the stunned Sith. He was young. No older than her. Hearing him start to groan, she dug through her equipment belt and found the hypo with the sedative in it. Jabbing it into his shoulder she quickly sedated him. Looking around she found his deactivated lightsaber, still gripped in his severed hand. Picking it up, she gingerly pried the cold, dead fingers from around the hilt and clipped it alongside hers on her belt. Now what to do with him? She couldn't drag him to her ship. That would be too suspicious, raise too many questions. Their little duel was already bound to cause endless problems. But she couldn't just leave him here. Who knows what information he might have. And if she did, he would just return to Sidious, strengthening him. No, she had to take him with her. Looking quickly outside, she spied a speeder on the corner. Running to it, she jumped in. Quickly firing it up, she pulled it up to the entrance to the cantina and ran inside. Using the Force to help her lift the dead weight of her recent opponent, she got him into the seat and quickly got behind the controls.

Making her way back to the hanger her ship was docked in, she commed the R2 unit she had onboard and had him open the hatch and begin the power up sequence. Pulling up to her ship, she lugged the unconscious Dark Jedi out of the speeder and up the ramp into her ship. Dumping him into a spare bunk, she quickly secured him with a pair of stun cuffs on both his arms and legs. Mindful that he would still be able to use the Force to release them, she grabbed the miniature welder that was in the equipment locker and quickly welded the latches shut, accidently burning the Dark Jedi in the process. The cuffs would have to be cut free when she got back to Tython. That task completed, she ran to the cockpit, finished the power up procedures and blasted into orbit. Ten minutes later, she shot into hyperspace.


	25. Chapter 25: A Darkness in the Force

Master K'Kruhk cradled young Ezra Bridger in his arms as the shuttle they were in climbed away from Lothal. Their mission to the planet was complete. The Kyber Crystal had all been safely recovered. And without devolving into a battle as had happened at Jedha. As young Ezra cried in his arms, K'Kruhk did his best to comfort the child. His parents had elected to stay behind, despite his pleading, and organize the resistance to the Empire's take over of the planet. He had left Jedi Knight Danaan Kerr and his Padawan on Lothal to both help and protect the Bridgers. He wasn't entirely comfortable leaving Jedi Kerr _or_ the Bridgers there, but Ephraim and Mira were insistent. If their son was going to be fighting the Dark Side as a Jedi, they felt honor bound to do the same.

As they entered hyperspace for the long trip back to Tython, Master K'Kruhk's Padawan, Chase Piru, came up to him to help him with Ezra. The young man was turning out to be quite a handful. Two weeks ago, he had never even seen an alien. In the time since, he had seen a Whippid, a Mon Calamari, a Zabrak and a Togruta. He seemed to be endlessly fascinated by them. Constantly grabbing handfuls of fur, horns, leku, montrals and barbels. As Chase took the child from her Master, he thanked her profusely for her help and made his way to his quarters to meditate for awhile. His Padawan was truly gifted with compassion. And a fierce protectiveness of younglings. Sadly, that last trait was honed during Order 66 when her own Master had been killed along with Jedi Master Jeisel while defending the Hawkbat Clan of Initiates from the GAR on Bogdan 3. He, Chase and the younglings had managed to escape, but the experience had scared them all deeply. K'Kruhk had coped by throwing himself into defeating the Empire. And had nearly been killed in the effort.

It was while recovering in the Halls of Healing that he realized he was dancing with the Dark Side in his lust for vengeance. Perhaps that explained his reckless rush into battle on Jedha with no regard for his own safety that resulted in his nearly being killed. Once he had been released from the Halls of Healing and allowed to move about freely within the Temple and it's Meditation Groves, he had sought out Chase Piru again and found her in the Crèche, tending to the younglings there. While speaking to her, she admitted that she had found no new Master as yet. And wasn't even entirely sure if she wished to continue her training. Nodding his head, he had placed his hand on her shoulder and asked the young woman to walk with him for a bit. That, perhaps, he could help her to reach a decision. She had agreed and the two had made their way out of the Crèche, passing young Master Skywalker and his wife on their way into the Crèche with Luke and Leia. The two Skywalker children were being dropped off at the Crèche to stay with their clan while their parents were away on a mission.

As Master K'Kruhk and Padawan Piru walked slowly through the Temple, K'Kruhk had softly talked to her about his own struggles with his commitment to the Order and how he had flirted with the Dark Side after Order 66. The young Padawan had been shocked to hear the respected Jedi Master speak so plainly and openly to her. But she was also reassured by it. Master K'Kruhk was likely the only Jedi on Tython who could truly understand what she was dealing with. Even the Jedi who had been at the Temple on Coruscant when Sidious attacked had had _some_ warning of what was coming and had taken steps to prepare. They, on the other hand, had been completely blindsided by the attack. Master Yoda's warning message hadn't reached them in time and the Clones had opened fire on them, killing her Master. She had been filled with sadness and anger ever since. Only being around the younglings seemed to help. So that was where she had spent her days.

Eventually the pair had reached the Meditation Groves and found a quiet spot to sit on one of the many benches there. It had recently been discovered that the Room of a Thousand Fountains in the Temple on Coruscant had been modeled on these very same groves. As the two sat and talked, Master K'Kruhk gradually got the Padawan to open up and she broke down, sobbing into his shoulder as he comforted her. As her tears slowly dried, Master K'Kruhk comforted her and gently explained to the distraught young woman, who thought she was no longer worthy of being a Jedi because of her emotions, that nothing could be further from the truth. As they continued to talk, Master K'Kruhk offered to train the young Padawan personally, that is, if she still wished to remain a Jedi. Nodding her head shakily, Chase agreed. Sitting together in meditation, the two Jedi had begun forming their bond.

Months later, Master K'Kruhk ruminated on all of that as he meditated in his small cabin. Having young Chase as a Padawan was truly one of the greatest blessings of his life. She was an exceptional student. And a true bright spot in his life. She was everything he could ever wish for in a Padawan. Her devotion to other beings was truly remarkable. One day, she would make an exceptional Jedi Knight. He was very proud of her. Sinking deeper into the Force as he meditated, he began to be carried along in it's currents. As he followed where the Force led, he began to sense a growing darkness. Letting himself sink deeper into the Force, he started tracing this darkness to it's source. Surprised at where the Darkness seemed to be originating from, he rose from his meditation and made his way to the flight deck. After checking their position, he ordered a change of course back in toward the Core.

_

On the Bridge of the _Perseverance_ , Obi-wan Kenobi watched as the _Malevolence_ broke orbit after finishing her minor repairs and prepared to make the jump to hyperspace. He had already recalled his crew from shore leave and all working parties had departed the ship an hour earlier. Outwardly, their ship showed no signs of preparing to break orbit. But as the _Malevolence_ made the jump to hyperspace, all of the sensor and tracking crews onboard the _Perseverance_ were watching her every move. Her new computers quickly spat out the vectors that the _Malevolence_ had taken and likely points where she would drop out of hyperspace. One planet, however, was directly on her path. Knowing that his ship had a huge speed advantage over the ISD, Obi-wan took his time departing Corellia. To anyone who noticed, his ship was just another Star Destroyer of the Imperial Navy going about the business of the Empire.

_

On the bridge of the Star Destroyer _Enforcer_ , Darth Aella stood with her hands clasped behind her back and surveyed the fleet that was assembling around her. When it was complete, there would be half a dozen _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers and another forty _Venator_ -class Star Destroyers. It would be the most powerful fleet assembled since the end of the Clone Wars. The operation was actually fairly straight forward. But it would require significant coordination to ensure that all the objectives were met. To that end, she had Grand Admiral Barton Coburn to actually handle the fleet.

Darth Aella wasn't entirely sold on the good Admiral. While he was undeniably competent, had compiled an excellent record during the war and ran a _very_ tight ship, he seemed to lack the fortitude for the mission they had been called on to conduct. She was tempted to execute him out of hand, just in case. But knew she was unlikely to find a better officer to replace him on such short notice. The Fleet was going into action in just a few days time. She resolved to keep a very close eye on the Admiral and be prepared to remove him at a moment's notice.

For his part, Grand Admiral Barton Coburn was deeply suspicious of his new commanding officer. She had introduced herself as Darth Aella and required that all personnel address her as My Lord, or Lady Aella. She had driven home that point when the _Enforcer_ 's executive officer referred to her as, "Ma'am." She had turned the poor man into a slobbering fool who didn't even know his own name. And she had done it with a smile on her face. It would have been kinder just to kill the man. The woman wore a lightsaber, which puzzled him at first. Palpatine had declared the Jedi traitors. Yet, it appeared that here was one before him. She had quickly disabused him of that notion when he felt the Force close around his throat. She confirmed it a moment later, when she spoke. She had said in her deceptively soft voice, "No, Admiral. I am no Jedi. The Jedi have betrayed our Empire. Have betrayed our Emperor. I am Sith. As our Emperor is Sith. Do not mistake me for a Jedi again."

And he never would. There was something about her eyes that was deeply unsettling. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew, just by looking at her, that hers was a face that would haunt his nightmares for the rest of his life. There was an evilness to her that terrified him. If his commanding officer was the only thing he had to worry about, he'd be almost content. But the mission he had been given turned his stomach. What he was being ordered to do was nothing short of despicable. He still wasn't sure he could actually carry out the orders he had been given. But he _knew_ that if he didn't, his would only be the first death of the day, and the orders would be carried out regardless. He wished his old friend Plo Koon was here. Even if he could just talk to him for a moment. But he had been reported killed soon after the Emperor declared the Jedi traitors. Reaching a decision, Grand Admiral Coburn would carry out his orders. For now.

_

Aboard his ship, the _Chu'unthor_ , Jedi Master Djinn Altis sat meditating. The Republic he had served all his life, was gone. Replaced by the Empire. The Jedi Order was likewise gone. Destroyed by Darth Sidious and the very Army he and his fellow Jedi had led. Though he had had his differences with the Jedi, and had ultimately decided that it would be best for him to leave the Order, he held no ill will towards them. In fact, he still strove to live his life by their ideals, though perhaps not by their rules. During the War however, he had worked alongside the High Council to bring a swift end to the killing and destruction. While he didn't _quite_ believe the Imperial Propaganda that the Order had been entirely destroyed, anything that was left of the Order had gone deep underground. He thought he could feel flashes of his brothers and sisters in the Force, but not enough to risk the beings that depended on him. Not when for all he knew, he, the Jedi that had joined him, and this ship were all that was left of the once mighty Jedi Order.

Many Jedi considered him and his followers heretics. But there was never any question from any of them that he and his followers served the light and the Republic. But he had no Republic to serve any longer. That left him at a bit of a loss as to what to do. They had tried to continue serving the people as Jedi, but anytime they appeared, the Empire was never far behind. And inevitably caused more destruction than before. In the end, they had had to retreat to the Unknown Regions just to survive. He thought of all this as he was meditating. But while he was immersed in the Force, it began carrying him in toward the Core. At first, he thought the Force was carrying him toward where his fellow Jedi were. But as it carried him closer, the Force began to feel colder. It was a feeling that he recognized as the Dark Side. Wherever the Force was bringing him, it was a place of great darkness and evil. It wasn't an evil that had happened yet, but it was an evil that was about to happen. Seeing what was about to happen, and where, Master Altis roused himself and ordered his ship back into the Core.


	26. Chapter 26: Back Into the Core

Master Yoda was guiding his Padawan, Caleb Dume, through a meditation exercise. He normally didn't need any assistance in meditation, but this particular exercise forced you to examine yourself. To find any faults that may lie within you. A Jedi must always be aware of himself. He was here to keep his Padawan centered. To remind him that no matter what he finds within himself, he should not view it as an irredeemable flaw, but as a chance to improve as a Jedi and an individual. Master Yoda was also performing this same exercise alongside his Padawan. He needed to show his Padawan that not even the Grand Master of the Jedi Order was immune to finding faults in his character. The exercise was going quite well at the moment. He could feel that Caleb had found several things he was not happy about, but the young man wasn't dwelling on them. Rather, he had found them, acknowledged them, and moved on with a resolve to discuss what he had found with his Master later.

Yoda had been mildly surprised that the Master-Padawan Bond had formed so quickly between them. He hadn't trained a Padawan since Mace over thirty years before. Thinking of his lost Padawan, he felt a momentary twinge of guilt. "He, _it should have been who remained behind to defend the Temple. A long life he had lived. Near the end, he was. Many decades left, had Mace. Regret that to his last day, he would._ "

As Master Yoda completed the exercise and released his hold over himself and drifted along with the currents of the Force, he felt again the growing sense of darkness that was settling over the Core. He had felt this growing darkness over the last several weeks. In fact, the other Members of the Council on Tython had felt it as well. As had many other Jedi Masters and even some Knights. At first, he had simply attributed it to Darth Sidious and his Apprentice establishing their presence openly there. However, he had felt Sidious leave the Core over a week before. While it was certainly not normal for a Jedi, or any Force User for that matter, to be able to pick out a single being in the vast fabric of the Force from systems away, he had spent long hours and days with the Chancellor and had grown familiar enough with his Force Signature that he could sometimes feel him. This had been one of those times. The Sith Lord had been agitated, his shields not as complete as they should have been. That in itself worried Yoda. Sidious was not some new Knight who was prone to make mistakes. He had lost track of Sidious long since, but he was certain he was not in the Core.

Focusing more on the darkness he felt surrounding the Core, he could feel it was not a vague, growing, overarching darkness. Rather, it was a focused, malevolent darkness. It was evil. And it was aimed at something very large. As he sank deeper into the Force, he found it's source. He also found that several of his Jedi were already responding to it. Upholding the ideals of the Jedi Order. He could feel their bright, luminous presences converging upon the darkness, shinning like stars against the dark.

Pulling himself out of his meditation, he reached through his bond with Caleb and lightly tapped on the young man's mental shields. His Padawan immediately pulled himself out of his meditation and looked at his Master expectantly.

"Come, Padawan. A discovery in the Force I have made. Inform the Council of it, we must. Then, back to the Core will we go. Find Master Skywalker for me, you will. Report to the Council Chamber, you will ask him from me."

"Yes, Master. I'll find Master Skywalker immediately."

"My thanks, you have Padawan."

As his Padawan sped through the halls of the Temple searching for the young Battlemaster of the Order, Master Yoda made his way to the Council Chamber as quickly as he was able, comming the other members of the Council to meet him there immediately. _Act quickly, the Order must_ , thought Yoda.

As the other Council Members entered they all took their seats. Before the meeting could start, Young Skywalker entered as well, his brown cloak billowing behind him as proof of how quickly he had moved on his way to the Council Chamber. Master Yoda motioned to Master Sinube's vacant place and asked the young Jedi Master to take a seat, as his input would be needed. Not wasting anymore time, Master Yoda opened the meeting.

"Through the Force, a growing darkness we have felt. Thought we did that this darkness, from Sidious it was. Wrong we were. Left the Core, Sidious has. Master Skywalker, felt this as well, have you?"

"Yes, I have Master," replied Anakin somewhat shamefully. "Because of what Sidious intended for me, and my own arrogance, a sort of bond was formed between us. I felt him leave Coruscant over a week ago. I don't know where he went, but he's definitely not in the Core."

"With Sidious gone, faded the darkness should have. Instead, grown it has. Evil intent, this darkness has. Ask you, I do, to search out this darkness and feel what I have felt."

As Yoda finished speaking, the ten other Jedi Masters in the room focused their minds and sank into the Force. Feeling the darkness in the Core, feeling that the darkness was focused and aimed, not simply a large shadow as they had first thought. As Yoda watched from his seat, he saw the look of alarm cross the other Jedi's faces as they realized what was about to happen in the Core.

As the other Masters turned to look at Yoda, he said to them, "Search deeper, I ask you. The darkness, not complete it is. Light there is present as well."

The first to realize what Yoda said was true was Anakin. After all, his own Master was there. They had been partnered together for so long, and their bond was so strong, that they could practically read each other's thoughts. As Anakin felt Obi-wan's determination and resolve, a sly grin crossed his face. And his old master called _him_ reckless! This stunt would make _any_ of Anakin's pale by comparison.

As the other Masters felt what Yoda had felt, they all left the currents of the Force and looked at each other. Master Yoda was once again the first to speak.

"Allow this disaster to happen, the Jedi cannot. To respond, at great risk will we be placed. But believe we must accept that risk, I do. To be seen as Jedi again, serving the people, we must."

Master Koon was the first to speak up in favor. "I agree. We must delay our attack on Korriban. Our primary goal must be to protect innocents from the evil of the Sith. We must accept any risk that this entails."

The other Masters quickly agreed. Looking at Anakin, Yoda asked, "Young Skywalker. The status of our ships, please? With what can we respond?"

Anakin _still_ hated being called "Young Skywalker" but he was pretty sure Yoda did it deliberately just to keep his ego in check. Or maybe it was just because Yoda got a kick out of his reaction in the Force. Either way, he didn't really let it get to him anymore. Well, _not much_ anyway. Responding to Master Yoda's question Anakin said, "Our frigates are ready. They are starting to show some wear and tear as we've had to defer some maintenance on them due to a lack of parts and suitable docking facilities, but no critical systems are compromised and they are fully combat ready. Our fighters are good to go. As of this morning, they are ninety percent up. If we push it, we can probably get them to ninety-five percent. Our shuttles, however, are not so good. They've seen hard service since the Temple fell. Only sixty percent are operational. And we've had to cannibalize several of them for parts. We might be able to increase this to seventy percent if we cannibalize the worst of the ones left."

"Hmmmmm, go with what we have, we must. Time to perform repairs we do not have. Many Jedi we will need. Your men as well, Young Skywalker, needed will be."

Nodding his head in agreement, Anakin told him, "I'll notify Captain Rex immediately. We'll have the battalion ready to go this afternoon."

"My thanks you have."

"Who else should go?" asked Master Mundi. "I would like to volunteer to go. I'm sure many Jedi will feel the same."

"We cannot leave the Temple defenseless," said Master Koon. "Not all of us should go. Perhaps we should draw lots to determine who goes and who stays. I can feel in the Force that every Jedi in this room is ready and willing to go."

Motioning to each of the Jedi Masters as he said theur names, Yoda replied, "Draw lots, we will not. Masters Koon, Mundi, Ti, Skywalker, Dralig and myself shall go. Take with us one hundred Knights, we will."

A wave of shock and alarm went around the room at that pronouncement from the Grand Master. The first to speak up was Va Zhurro. "Master Yoda, that's more Jedi than we sent to Geonosis. Sending that many, it could cripple us."

"Know that, I do. But defend the innocent, the Order must. Many Jedi will be needed to do this."

"Understood, Master. I just felt that it had to be pointed out. I agree with what we're doing. But I would not be performing my duty to the Council and the Order as a whole if I failed to mention it."

"Appreciate your candor I do."

After but five more minutes of discussion, the Meeting broke up, with each Master rushing to perform their duty. Less than seven standard hours later, the small Jedi fleet, made up of every ship that could make the jump to hyperspace headed towards the Core. It was the largest Jedi mission since before the start of the Clone Wars. All the Jedi in the task force, from the newest Padawans to the most experienced Masters reflected that the odds were great that many of them may not return. The mission they were being called upon to perform was reckless to the extreme. But not a Jedi there wanted to be anywhere else.

The _Malevolence_ had finally dropped out of hyperspace an hour ago. Obi-wan's _Perseverance_ dropped out right behind her, just out of sensor range. He cautiously crept his ship forward until the ISD appeared on his systems. His guess as to where she was going had been right on the money. While he had a pretty good idea of _what_ they were about to do, he couldn't understand _why_. As the _Malevolence_ moved to join the fleet that was gathering before him, a _Theta_ -class shuttle dropped out of hyperspace just at the edge of sensor range. Obi-wan felt a spike of alarm come from the shuttle at seeing his ship so close. He also felt a familiar presence on board. Reaching out with the Force, he reassured those onboard that it was safe. As the two ships approached each other, they made contact using very low powered comms that were unlikely to be picked up.

Master K'Kruhk was very relieved to find that the assault ship off his shuttle's bow was friendly. The touch he felt through the Force had massively reassured him. Hearing Master Kenobi's voice over the comm was the final confirmation he had needed. His shuttle was currently docking in the _Acclamator_ 's hanger bay. And Master Kenobi was standing there waiting for them. For a brief moment, it almost felt like things were back to normal again. Almost like the Galaxy _hadn't_ been flipped on its head and every Jedi declared a traitor and an outlaw. Sadly, the moment passed almost as soon as it had arrived.

As Master K'Kruhk's shuttle landed, Obi-wan Kenobi wondered what he was doing in this part of the Galaxy. The last he knew, he had been assigned to a mission on Lothal in the Outer Rim. Regardless, he was glad he was here. Every Jedi would help. And Master K'Kruhk was one of the strongest and wisest Masters in the Order.

As the Whippid Jedi Master walked down the ramp from the shuttle, Obi-wan greeted him at the bottom of the ramp with a smile on his face, "K'Kruhk! Welcome aboard the _Perseverance_. How are you, my friend?"

"I'm fine, Obi-wan," replied K'Kruhk. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. What are you doing in the Core? Last I heard you were on Lothal."

"I was. But we finished our mission there and we were on our way back to Tython when I felt this, this tremendous darkness in the Force. It worried me, my friend. It felt so evil. So I resolved to come investigate and see what I could do to help."

"I as well. Anakin, Kit and I captured this ship several weeks ago and we were finishing up a refit of it above Corellia when a Star Destroyer entered orbit with us. It reeked of evil intent. So we followed it. And here we are. And _there_ is the largest fleet I've seen since the Battle of Coruscant."

"Yes," replied Master K'Kruhk. "But what are they doing?" As he finished speaking, he noticed a movement beside him. "Oh, where are my manners? Master Kenobi, allow me to introduce my Padawan, Chase Piru. Chase, meet Obi-wan Kenobi."

Bowing to the High Council Member, Chase Piru said, "It's an honor, Master Kenobi." Turning to her own Master she asked, "Master, what should we do with Ezra? I doubt there's a nursery onboard."

"Ezra?" asked Master Kenobi.

"Yes, sorry," answered K'Kruhk. "We found a young child on Lothal. His parents' home was directly above the Kyber vein. He's exceedingly strong in the Force. His parents elected to stay behind, organize a resistance to the Empire. But they gave their son to the Order to train as a Jedi. I left Jedi Knight Danaan Kerr and his Padawan behind to assist them and provide protection."

"So our little insurrection grows." Laughing lightly to himself, slightly ashamed that he was even able to laugh after so many awful things had happened in the Galaxy, Obi-wan, K'Kruhk, Chase and the four Jedi with them made their way to the bridge of the assault ship.

Just as they arrived, Obi-wan's Padawan, Zett Jukassa walked up to his Master with a report from the deck officer. There hadn't been time to appoint a Captain for the _Perseverance_ , so until there was, Obi-wan was fulfilling that role.

"Thank you, Zett," he said. "Have you met Master K'Kruhk or his Padawan, Chase Piru?"

"No, Master." Turning to Master K'Kruhk, he offered the Jedi Master a bow and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you Master. You, as well Padawan Piru." At hearing Zett's clipped, formal tones, Obi-wan grinned slightly behind his beard. The young man was doing his best to mimic Obi-wan's formal way of speaking.

"Zett, could you see to getting accommodations setup for our guests, please? Perhaps the other Padawans could accompany you as well?"

"Of course, Master." Looking at the three Padawans, he swept his arm down the passageway toward the logistics office, "This way."

As the four Padawans headed off, watched by their Masters, Obi-wan looked at K'Kruhk, "Oh K'Kruhk. Do you remember when you were a Padawan?"

Laughing lightly, K'Kruhk replied, "Barely. It seems like a lifetime ago." Growing serious he asked Obi-wan, "So, what can you tell me about what's going on out there?" Punctuating his question with a nod in the general direction of Imperial Fleet.

Stroking his beard Obi-wan replied, "Not much. Just guesses and impressions in the Force. But the way the darkness is beginning to focus, combined with the size of the fleet, it won't be anything good I can tell you that."

"With respect, Master Kenobi, a child could have guessed that," interjected Jedi Knight Bre'ano Umakk, a Mon Calamari Jedi. "The Force did not draw us all here simply to leave us blind," he finished with a grin.

Shaking his head at the Jedi's sense of humor Obi-wan told him, "No, I agree. I think I know what they're doing, but an old friend once told me to stop thinking like a General, and to start thinking like a Jedi. And a Jedi doesn't rely on guesses. I'm waiting on the Force to reveal it."

Nodding his head in acknowledgement, Bre'ano let it drop. Before anyone else could say another word, another ship dropped out of hyperspace almost on top of them.

The _Chu'unthor_ dropped out of hyperspace almost on top of an Imperial Assault ship. They immediately began to turn away and readied to jump back to hyperspace. Unfortunately, the ship was old, and it's computers were a bit slow. It would take some minutes before they could make the jump to hyperspace. But a strange thing happened. The _Acclamator_ made no move to fire upon them. In fact, as Jedi Master Djinn Altis concentrated on the ship through the Force, it almost felt familiar.

Relaxing slightly and with his curiosity aroused, Master Altis began to study the vessel more closely. He couldn't quite place why the ship would feel familiar to him however. Whoever was on that ship was shielding their Force Signature very heavily.

"Master Altis, we have an incoming very low power transmission from the _Acclamator_ ," his Comms Officer told him.

"Thank You," he replied. "Please put it up on the holodisplay."

"Yes, Sir."

A scant minute later, and the holo of Master Kenobi stood before him. "Master Kenobi, you don't know how glad I am to see you," Djinn said. "We'd heard that the Order had been destroyed, we couldn't reach anyone."

Obi-wan's reply was somewhat scratchy due to the extremely low power setting being used to reduced the chance of anyone overhearing it, but it was still understandable. "I understand Master Altis. I don't wish to discuss it over the holo though for fear of interception. I can either join you on your ship, or you may join me on mine. Whichever you prefer."

"I have a shuttle on board, I'll be there shortly."

Thirty standard minutes later, and Master Altis' shuttle was landing in the hanger bay of the _Perseverance_. To his relief, he was met personally by Master Kenobi and what appeared to be a Padawan.

"Master Altis," Obi-wan said. "Welcome aboard the _Perseverance_. I am _very_ glad to see you alive and well."

"And I you, Master Kenobi. But, please, tell me. The rest of the Order? How many are left?"

Smiling, Obi-wan told him, "More than you might think. There are around three thousand of us still alive."

Upon hearing that, Master Altis sagged in relief. To know that the Order wasn't destroyed lifted a weight off of his shoulders. A weight he hadn't even know he was carrying. While he and his followers had technically resigned from the Order, they still considered themselves to be Jedi.

Reaching his hand out to steady the aged Master, Obi-wan guided him out of the hanger bay and to the briefing room where the other Jedi with him were gathered. As Djinn sat down, Obi-wan began to fill him on where the Order had gone, how many had survived and why they were here. He also began to fill him on all the changes that the Order had made. In particular, the changes to the Jedi Code.

"Djinn," Obi-wan said as he finished. "As a member of the High Council of the Jedi Order, I'm formally asking you and your followers to join with us. We would like you to formally rejoin the Jedi Order. None of you ever stopped being Jedi. We've realized that now. We want you to take your place among us once more."

"Master Kenobi, thank you," replied Djinn. "You don't how long I've waited to hear words like that be spoken by the Council. I can't give you a firm answer immediately. I must speak to my followers and we must hear what the Force has to say on it. But, I doubt the Force brought us all to this place at this time just to tear us apart again. We'll assist you in whatever way we can. It's our pleasure and our duty. Then we'll accompany you back to Tython."

"You have my thanks, Master Altis. I am in your debt. May I and my Padawan accompany you back to your ship to explain to your people the situation we're facing here?"

"Of course."

As the two Jedi Masters made their way back to the hanger, Djinn Altis was full of questions for Obi-wan. Details that he wanted to know. Especially he wanted to know of the survival of many of those he called friends. All too many were answered with a sad shake of Obi-wan's head and a comment that they had passed into the Force.

Master Altis had one last question to ask though, "The Temple on Tython. Is it _really_ still there? After having been abandoned a thousand years ago?"

"Yes. And in surprisingly good condition. The Order left behind hundreds of maintenance droids when they left and they maintained the Temple. Up to about sometime in the last hundred years anyway. Wait till you set foot on Tython. The planet is unlike any I haveever felt. Extremely strong in the Force and more attuned to the light than anywhere I've ever felt. The Force seems to _sing_ there."

"I'm looking forward to it."

The meeting on the _Chu'unthor_ went better than anyone could have expected. All the Jedi on board were very enthusiastic about helping in whatever way they could. Particularly when they heard what Obi-wan believed was about to happen. He also sat with them alongside Master Altis and discussed the possibility of them rejoining the rest of the Order permanently. At first, the idea was rejected out of hand. But as Obi-wan explained some of the changes that the Order had adopted, they became cautiously optimistic that common ground could be reached between them all. Shortly afterwards, Obi-wan boarded the shuttle and headed back to his ship.

Seryana was going to go mad. The Sith she had captured, he still refused to tell her his name, had, at last count, tried to escape a dozen times already. Included in those dozen escape attempts had been at least six serious and six casual attempts to kill her. That she knew about. She hadn't been able to sleep or even meditate for more than a few minutes at a time for days now. And on top of all that, she was _pretty sure_ she'd acquired a tail.

She couldn't be positive of that of course, whoever was tailing her was _good_. But her every instinct and the little training she had in the Force were screaming at her that she was being followed. And she was pretty sure whoever it was that was following her was doing it through the Force. That blasted Sith in the bunk room was likely broadcasting his presence through the Force as strongly as he could. Actually, she was certain he was. Even she had felt it earlier. Unfortunately for her, what little training she had left her with exactly zero options to put a stop to his broadcasting. Well, options short of blasting him out of the airlock anyway. And as tempting as that was, she was _pretty_ sure the Council wouldn't exactly approve. Not to mention the fact that killing the kriffing Sith like that would probably help her go a long ways towards joining him in the Dark Side.

Seryana had spent the last several days making random jumps and redirects trying to lose her tail. Sometimes in towards the Core, other times out towards the Rim. Once she even came perilously close to the Maw. Not that she was ever in danger mind you. But she thought that maybe if she scraped a black hole, the gravity well would rip her pursuer out of hyperspace and she could identify who it was. Sadly, her luck wasn't that good. The being tailing her was apparently a highly skilled navigator and pilot. They never even approached the Maw.

All she knew was that she was fast running out of ideas. She had considered, and rejected, flying straight back to Tython using her special route that skirted the black holes. But doing that would be worse than foolish. If the being trailing her was a Sith, or any Dark Side aligned being for that matter, they would know exactly where the Order had gone and would then gleefully tell Sidious. And _that_ would spell the end of the Order.

Her second option, what she had been doing, making random jumps trying to shake whoever it was following her, wasn't working either. In addition to not losing her tail, twice now she had nearly stumbled into Imperial Patrols. Only her natural skill as a pilot and her Force enhanced reflexes had allowed her to avoid them at the last instant. The longer she kept this up though, the worse the odds got that she wouldn't be so lucky the next time.

The third option she could choose from was finding some dust ball of a planet with a breathable atmosphere and dumping the Sith-spawned Dark Sider there and making her getaway while her tail homed in on _him_. That presented a whole host of problems though. Not the least of which was that it wasn't guaranteed to work. The Sith had spent enough time in her presence that he might be able to pick up her Force signature and track her anyway. Which would put her right back where she started at. She supposed her tracker could also be homing in on _her_ Force signature as well. Which would make ditching her prisoner worse than useless if that was the case.

Her last option was almost as bad as her first. The Temple, and their small fleet, had a covert communications network installed. It had been designed and built by Master Skywalker and Master Paratus. _In theory_ it was untraceable. And as close to unbreakable as it could be. She _could_ place a holocall to the Temple, specifically the Council, and request instructions and help. She was loathe to do this for several reasons though. First, if the call _was_ traced, it would lead straight back to Tython. Letting the Emperor send the might of the Imperial Navy and Stormtrooper Corps to crush the Order once and for all. That was clearly unacceptable. Second, even if the call wasn't traced, but merely intercepted, it could give Imperial code breakers something to work with. The more calls that were made, the more code they could see, the higher the risk of the code being broken. Again, unacceptable. Lastly, was her pride. Jedi Explorer she may be, but to her, the key word there was _Jedi_. And Jedi were expected to be able to operate on their own when they had to. To solve whatever problems came up. And if she wanted to prove to the Council, to prove to _herself_ , that she was worthy of that title, than she would have to do this on her own.

As she sat in the cockpit of her shuttle, Seryana mulled over her options again. And again. And again. She was still no closer to arriving at a decision when she felt her prisoner begin escape attempt number thirteen. Sighing to herself, she stood up from the pilot's chair, told her R2 unit to take over and made her way to the bunk room, unclipping her lightsaber from her belt as she went.

Standing in the door to the bunk room, Seryana had to admit that she was impressed with the Sith's perseverance. This time he wasn't even trying to be subtle. Slowly raising his arms, still locked together in the stun cuffs, he shot Force Lightning at Seryana. Blocking it almost casually with her lightsaber, this was the fourth or fifth time he had used lightning on her after all, she used what little skill she had with telekinesis to punch the Sith in the chest with a wave of energy. It wasn't much, but it was just enough to make him stumble. The stun cuffs took care of the rest. Sensing the more rapid movement in his limbs as he tried to keep his balance, the cuffs pumped volt after volt of energy into him until he collapsed and lay twitching on the deck.

Putting her lightsaber away, Seryana looked at the poor wretch and asked him, "Aren't you getting tired of this? This is the thirteenth time you've tried to escape. And each and every one of those times has ended with you, on the deck, drooling and twitching from the electricity being pumped into you from the cuffs. Why not just give up?"

Her only reply was a sneer.

"Fine, have it your way." Saying that, she pulled a small blaster from her belt, set it to stun, and pulled the trigger. Speaking to the now unconscious Sith, she said, "I really hope blasting you repeatedly like this doesn't cause permanent damage to your nervous system. But if it does, you can't say I didn't warn you."

As she got the Sith back into the bunk, she finally resigned herself to what she needed to do. She needed help. It made her almost physically ill to admit that she couldn't do it on her own. But she didn't have a choice. She needed to risk a call. Activating her covert comm system, she sent a message to theTemple. Five minutes later Master Va Zhurro contacted her. Bowing to the experienced Jedi Master, she quickly explained the situation. She felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment when she admitted that she needed help to complete her mission.

Smiling gently at the young Jedi Explorer who had done more on this one mission than many Jedi Knights ever had to do, Master Zhurro told her, "Young Seryana, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Not only have you retrieved the message, you defeated a Sith in combat. That is a claim that many Knights and Masters cannot make. Admitting when you need help isn't a weakness, it is a sign of strength and self awareness. Where are you now?"

Smiling weakly at the praise from Master Zhurro ( _she still felt ashamed that she had to call and ask for help_ ) she replied, "I'm near Korfo II on the Commeenor Run Trade Route, Master."

Quickly glancing at a star chart, Va began to chuckle. The Force certainly had a sense of humor. "More help than you could ever need is closer than you think. Head to these coordinates I'm sending through now.There will coincidentally be several hundred Jedi waiting for you. May the Force be with you, Seryana."


	27. Chapter 27: The Beginning

Darth Sidious was puzzled. The warning tremors he felt through the Force had subsided considerably. He had been certain that the Jedi were planning to assault Korriban. But suddenly, and without warning, the tremors had practically ceased. Oh, there was still a vague warning hint of danger in the future for Korriban, but it was no longer an immediate and pressing issue. Regardless, he had decided to remain on Korriban for the time being.

His presence at the Academy was having a marked impact on the Acolytes here. The fallen Jedi that he had corrupted to his cause were usually in charge of the basic training here. Teaching the new students how to wield the Force and handle a lightsaber. He had also supplied a number of holocrons to teach basic Sith Lore and techniques. Nothing too advanced. After all, only he and Darth Aella would ever claim the title of Dark Lord of the Sith. But they taught just enough to make his lesser Sith deadly in a fight. Now however, with his being there, a true Sith Lord and Master, they were advancing even faster. Or dying. This was the way of the Sith. Triumph or die. There was no middle ground. Several Acolytes had died since his arrival. Many more had progressed faster than he would have believed possible. Some out of fear of their own death, others in an attempt to attract his attention. Even those that died served him in their deaths however. Each and every one of their deaths served to teach a technique or to drive home the bitter consequences of failure. His new Sith Order was growing. Slowly, but surely. By not really caring whether an acolyte lived or died, they had been able to compress years of training into only months. One of the first things an acolyte learned here was how to use the Force to enhance their reserves and endure well beyond what any being should be able to. If they failed in that, they were killed out of hand.

Currently, Sidious was sitting in the Throne Room that he had had constructed for himself. It was built in the same location where the ancient Dark Council had sat. He scoffed at that idea. A _council_ of Sith Lords. They might as well have been the Jedi.

In some ways, Sidious was pleased with how events had transpired. When he had first decided to personally lead the attack on the Temple and reveal himself to the galaxy at large as a Sith Lord, he had been worried. The Jedi, and the Republic, had made much of the fact that Dooku was no longer a Jedi but had become a Sith. It had taken some quick work with his lackeys in the media to recast the facts to show that Dooku had never been a Sith at all, but had instead been a Jedi the entire time. He had planned to orchestrate the situation like that all along, but he'd had to accelerate his timetable considerably along with altering some of the details and minor facts he had planned to use. He publicly made the claim that he had found proof of this in the Archives of the Jedi Temple. He had even supplied holos to back his claim. Surreptitiously altered, of course. Fortunately, only he knew that the Archives had been completely wiped and later destroyed by explosives hidden in the systems. All of that combined had allowed him to abandon his public persona of Sheev Palpatine. He now publicly reigned as Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith and Galactic Emperor.

 _But_. In other ways, he was decidedly _not_ pleased. At a rough guess, between two and three _thousand_ Jedi had managed to escape. If they ever decided to mass their strength and strike directly at him, there was only one possible outcome. He would die. This was decidedly not what he had envisioned when he set his end game into motion above Coruscant.

On top of that, while he was certainly pleased with his apprentice, she wasn't Anakin. In truth, Skywalker was the only Jedi who truly scared him. The boy was tremendously powerful. More than either himself or Yoda would ever be if he lived up to his full potential. If Anakin ever decided to come after him, nothing would stop him. In fact, Anakin was the other reason he was still on Korriban. Having watched Anakin duel Tyranus, he knew that in a straight up fight, Anakin would defeat him. The boy was just too good with a lightsaber. If he ever had to face him, Sidious needed to give himself an edge. He used to rely on the fragile mental state and doubts he had cultivated in Anakin since the boy was nine. But that didn't seem to be an option any longer judging by what he had seen of the boy on Naboo. Here on Korriban, there were still parts of tombs and the Temple that hadn't been explored for thousands of years. He could feel the latent power of the Dark Side in many of these places. He would harness this power for himself, find the secrets of the ancient Sith, and use them to destroy Anakin and the Jedi for all time.

In the meantime, he had other business to handle. Activating the hypercom transceiver, he contacted Darth Aella. As the image of his apprentice coalesced before him, he heard her say, "What is thy bidding, my Master?"

"Rise, Lord Aella," he told his kneeling apprentice. "What is the status of your fleet?"

"We are fully prepared, Master. Grand Admiral Coburn has informed me that we can commence the operation at any time. We await only your finally approval."

This was something else that annoyed Sidious. Because of Aella's relative inexperience, he had to rely more on non-Force Sensitives and was forced into taking a more active roll in certain aspects of the Empire. He didn't bother trying to keep it out of his voice. "You may _proceed_ , my _apprentice_. Show the Galaxy that defiance will not be tolerated. Report to me when it is done."

"Yes, my Lord."

With a flick of his fingers, Sidious deactivated the comm. Now, he only needed to await results from the other side of the Galaxy. Thinking to himself, " _In the meantime,_ " he summoned several of the more promising acolytes and assigned them to go into the ancient tombs and retrieve the artifacts that he could feel calling him through the Dark Side. If they returned, with the artifacts, they would receive additional training from him personally, making them even deadlier. If they returned without them, they would be killed as a punishment for their failure. And if they never returned at all, they would serve as a lesson to those remaining of the importance of strength and cunning. Truth be told, Sidious didn't really care what happened. He _would_ have what he came for. Either the acolytes before him would deliver it, or others would. And after that, he would finally destroy the Jedi.

_

Master Yoda stood quietly on the bridge of the _Redemption_. He knew that what they were about to do was likely to bring their small force into open battle with the might of the Imperial Navy. He knew that many of the beings that had accompanied the fleet from Tython would not be returning with them. He knew that not one of them wanted to be anywhere else. This mission was too important. Unlike at Geonosis when the Jedi had responded in force to rescue Obi-wan and Anakin, and had started a war in the process, this mission was to rescue innocents. Beings that the Empire had targeted for destruction. This mission would be the start of the Order returning to their roots. The Jedi would be _Jedi_ again.

_

Anakin stood at the rear of the bridge and watched Master Yoda. With his eyes, and with the Force. The aged and respected Grand Master of the Order was, to all outward appearances calm and collected. Standing peacefully waiting for the fleet to revert to realspace. But in the Force, he was like a mountain of durasteel. Firm in his resolve for what must be done. Sure that it was _the right thing to do_. Even still, Anakin could sense a slight feeling of sadness and remorse for the lives that would be lost today.

In that respect, Anakin breathed a sigh of relief. He had fought, and won, the argument with Padme for her to stay behind. Being completely honest, he admitted that he had pulled a few low blows. Particularly that line about making sure the twins had at least one of their parents still around just in case. Looking out at the swirl of hyperspace he silently thought, " _I'm sorry for that Angel. But they really do need at least one of us. And I have a bad feeling about this mission_." He couldn't quite place it. Oh, this was about the most dangerous mission he had ever been on. And that was saying something considering everything he had done during the war. Not to mention that one time in the Gundark Nest. But this was something else. Something specific. He just couldn't put his finger on it. And the Force was being particularly tight lipped about it.

As Anakin continued to look at Master Yoda, he was reminded yet again of how close he had come to falling. He truly wished he wouldn't be reminded so often of it, but he was. And he supposed, in a way, it was a good thing that he was. There were times, especially right before a fight, when he could feel the darkness that was inside him try and take hold. It had been such an easy thing to do in the War. To let just a little bit of the darkness in. After all, if it made him faster, stronger, quicker, wasn't that a _good_ thing? If it let him shorten a battle, or save one or two more lives, wasn't that actually serving the Light? At least, that was how he had seen it. Only later, when he finally saw Palpatine, no, _Sidious_ , for who and what he really was did he realize that he was playing right into the Sith's hands by thinking that. It had been a struggle for him. And he still struggled with it. In a lot of ways, he was only just beginning to realize just how badly Sidious had affected him, had affected his training. He had been forced to make several conscious decisions in a lot of areas. Most of those involving swallowing his pride and asking for help from Obi-wan or Yoda with refining his technique with certain Force abilities or helping him with Meditation.

The most obvious change, at least on the outside, was in his robes. He had always favored darker colors. Partially because he always seemed to be cold and the dark colors helped warm him up. But mainly because they seemed to fit his mood better. Only lately had he realized that they also matched almost exactly the Sith's choice in robes. The first day he had worn his new robes both Padme's and Obi-wan's jaws had just about hit the floor. They had become so accustomed to seeing him in dark brown and black that the light browns and tans of his new robes was jarring. He had debated outright copying Obi-wan's style, but in the end had gone with something a little more unique. His cloak was a light brown, almost identical to Obi-wan's. His inner tunic was a very light tan, almost white. His outer tunic, while tan as well, was quite a bit darker. His pants and tabards were both brown with an almost red tint to them. He kept his black boots and the black glove over his prosthetic. He admitted, it was a bit eclectic. And it would _definitely_ take some getting used to. But overall, he thought it was a vast improvement.

Realizing his mind was wandering, Anakin shook his head slightly, double checked the navigation display and made his way toward where Master Yoda stood. "Master Yoda," said Anakin as he waited politely to be acknowledged.

"Mmmmm, yes, Young Skywalker?" replied Yoda.

Rolling his eyes slightly at "Young Skywalker" Anakin replied, "We should be arriving at the rendezvous point within ten standard minutes, Master. I've sent an encrypted holocom to Master Kenobi informing him of our arrival."

"Very good, Anakin. Very good. When arrive we have, accompany me to Obi-wan's ship you will. Good it will be for you to see your old Master. Good for him as well."

"Thank you, Master. It has been awhile."

"Yes, a long time it has been. In charge of our starfighters, you will be. Disrupt the Empire's attack you must. Many lives will you save by doing so."

"Yes, Master. Artoo has been rather excited lately. He says he'd begun to feel like he was being ignored."

Before Yoda could reply, their small fleet dropped out of hyperspace. Making their way to the shuttle bay, Yoda and Anakin went over some of the minor details in how the fleet and their fighters were to be deployed. Waiting by the shuttle, was Commodore Sykes with his executive officer and Captain Rex. Rex had fought hard to be allowed to come on this mission. The healers had been adamant that he wasn't ready yet, but in the end, he had won. Of course, Anakin had a little something to do with that. And he had managed to extract a promise from Rex that he would _command_ , not lead from the front.

"Generals," Commodore Sykes greeted the two Jedi Masters. "This is Commander Tel Daggoth. He'll be taking over the _Perseverance_ from General Kenobi as you requested."

"Thank you, Commodore," Yoda replied. Turning to the Commander he asked, "Ready, are you, to take command, hmmmm?"

"Yes, General, I am," the human male said.

"Good. And know what is expected of you do you?"

"I do. I won't disappoint you General."

Nodding his head, Yoda, and the four other men boarded the shuttle and made their way to the _Perseverance_.

The strategy meeting was surprisingly short. Partially because most of the Jedi and the 501st already knew what was expected of them with only minor details to work out. But mainly because they all knew they didn't have much time before the Imperial assault would begin. The one surprise in the meeting was that Obi-wan and Zett were tasked by Yoda to join the starfighter force under Anakin. Yoda explained it away as simply being that he didn't want to break up such a successful team if he could avoid it.

Anakin, still having his sense of humor, looked at his old Master and said lightheartedly, "Look on the bright side Master. At least there won't be any buzz droids this time." If looks could kill, Anakin would have dropped to the deck lifeless from the one Obi-wan gave him. Master Koon volunteered to fly with the starfighters as well. The only explanation he provided was that it was a feeling in the Force.

_

Once they were all back on the _Redemption_ , one more shuttle dropped from hyperspace. Fortunately, they were expecting this shuttle. As it docked in the _Redemption_ 's hanger bay, Masters Yoda, Kenobi and Skywalker were waiting. As the ramp opened, an exhausted looking Seryana Ky stood wearily at the top of the ramp. Her prisoner stood cuffed before her with Seryana's lightsaber pressed against his back. She quickly marched him down the ramp where Master Kenobi grabbed him and Yoda promptly gave him a very powerful sleep suggestion.

"Done well, you have young Seryana," Yoda told her. "Proud of you, we are. The being following you, tell us what you can."

Seryana stood there for a moment, her face scrunched up as she tried to remember anything she could about who or what might be following her. Seeing her struggling, and how exhausted she was, Anakin reached out and gently touched her shoulder. "Seryana, relax your body and your mind. Let the Force flow through you, let it show you what you need to know," Anakin told her. Passing along a lesson that both Qui-Gon and Obi-wan had taught to him. Catching Obi-wan out of the corner of his eye, Anakin saw the look of approval and pride on his face as Anakin taught another what he had once been taught.

Anakin watched as Seryana heeded his advice and saw her slowly begin to relax, her face smoothing and her tense muscles relaxing until she appeared at peace. Reaching out with the Force, Anakin patiently nudged her to open her mind as well. To trust in the Force. She did.

Seryana's eyes soon flew open and details began to pour out of her. Some she didn't even realize she knew. Seryana surprised herself. She was able to accurately and concisely put into words exactly _why_ she knew she was being followed, _when_ she had realized it, even the fact that her subconscious had been able to recognize a very faint Force Signature coming from the being, signaling that it most definitely was a Force User following her.

The three Jedi Masters stood there listening intently to her, each once processing the information. Obi-wan was the first to put the pieces together followed shortly afterwards by Anakin and Yoda. Anakin and Obi-wan quickly shared a look, with Anakin asking, "Master, you don't think..."

Replying to him, Obi-wan said, "Unfortunately, I do. It makes far too much sense for it to be anyone else."

Adding his opinion, Yoda replied, "Hmmmm, but what of her motivation? Why track one Jedi and not another? For months, our Jedi have been active in the Galaxy. Odd her choice is."

"The only thing that makes sense to me," Obi-wan offered, "is that Seryana isn't fully trained, her mental shields not as strong or complete as a fully trained Jedi Knight. Add in her connection to Anakin, and through him to Ahsoka and myself, and it begins to fall into place."

"Makes sense, this does. But to who does she report now? To Sidious? To herself? A mystery, this is," said Yoda.

"Would someone please tell me who you're talking about?" Seryana asked somewhat impatiently.

Responding to her, Anakin told her. "Aurra Sing. She's a bounty hunter. And a good one. Absolutely ruthless. She'll kill without hesitation and work for anyone who's got the credits to pay her. She hates the Jedi. On top of all that, she's Force Sensitive and _very_ good with a lightsaber. The problem is, she doesn't wear it openly. Beings just assume that she's your run of the mill bounty hunter until she's lured you in close. Then, without warning, she's got a lightsaber in her hand. It's cost more than one Jedi his life. Not someone you want to mess with. Be grateful that she wasn't out to kill you. At least not right away."

Hearing all that, Seryana went white. While certainly no coward, she knew she wasn't the equal of someone like that.

"Don't worry," Obi-wan told her. "We can deal with her quite effectively. She's not stupid. following a single Jedi that, no offense, is clearly not fully trained is one thing. Coming anywhere close to the number of Jedi here, including some of the strongest in the Order, is quite another."

"Enough, for now," Yoda said, putting an end to the conversation. "Rest now, you must. Your help will we need soon."

Turning to Anakin, Yoda said, "Master Skywalker,Jedi Ky, to her quarters, show her. Much to discuss about the future I feel you two have."

Realizing what Yoda was implying and the trap he had laid for him only too late, Anakin couldn't help but grin. Anyone who said the Jedi weren't deceptive and sneaky had obviously never met Yoda. "Yes, Master. Seryana? This way."

_

As Anakin led the exhausted Jedi Explorer to a berth, Seryana was busy trying to figure out what Master Yoda had meant. While she _did_ want to thank Anakin for all the lightsaber training he had given her, and to ask him for more advanced training as well, that wouldn't exactly qualify as "much to discuss." After a few minutes, she finally just gave up and decided to ask what Yoda had meant.

For his part, Anakin was content to let her chew on what Yoda had said. He could feel her confusion through the Force quite clearly. She _really_ needed to work on her mental shields more. As much as Anakin wanted to be upset, he really couldn't. This was the _second_ time Yoda had done this to him. Of course, with the changes to the Code and with Ahsoka being Knighted, he supposed he should have expected something like this. The only real difference was, Seryana only a few years younger than he was. He had just turned twenty-four and Seryana was twenty. That would make things interesting. Feeling Seryana make up her mind, he turned his attention fully to her.

"Master Skywalker?" She asked.

"Yes, Seryana?" Anakin replied.

"What was Master Yoda talking about?"

Spying a quiet alcove off the main passageway, Anakin steered her towards it while giving her one of his trademark grins. "Why don't we talk over here?"

As they reached the alcove, Anakin had to chuckle. Seryana's confusion was written all over her face. Normally, she was extremely bright, if a bit of a daydreamer. " _She really must be exhausted_ ," Anakin thought. "First off, we wanted to tell you how very proud of you we are. You've accomplished something that not many Jedi in the last thousand years have. You accomplished your mission, defeated a Sith, realized that you had someone following you and instead of panicking and leading them back to Tython, you tried shaking them. When that didn't work, you acknowledged your own limitations and reached out for help. Trust me, I know how hard that last one is." As he said that last part, he raised his prosthetic for her to see. "I didn't when I was your age. And it cost me."

Still being confused, as much from lack of sleep as anything, Seryana asked Anakin, "Master, while I appreciate what you're saying, Master Zhurro said pretty much the same thing. Don't get me wrong, it means a lot coming from you. But I still don't see why Yoda said what he did."

Laughing, Anakin told her, "Why don't I clear it up then. You've shown tremendous potential Seryana. More than most. You could be an outstanding Jedi Knight. _If_ you still want that." Hearing Anakin say that, realization slowly began dawning on Seryana's face. Finishing up, Anakin said to her, "Seryana Ky, I would like to take you as my Padawan Learner."

Seryana was overwhelmed. This was what she had wanted since she was old enough to want anything. And to have _Anakin Skywalker_ offering to train her?! The Chosen One himself and Battlemaster of the Jedi Order? For quite possibly the first time in her life, she was at a complete loss for words.

"Seryana?" Anakin gently prompted her.

Blinking rapidly and giving a quick shake of her head, the words seemed to rush out of her, "Yes, yes _of course_ that's what I still want! Don't get me wrong, I _love_ what I do, but ever since I was a little girl I've dreamed of being a Jedi Knight. This, this is almost overwhelming."

Laughing at her, to put it mildly, enthusiastic response, Anakin told her, "Good! Look, you need to get some rest now, I can see how tired you are. After that, we'll start your training in earnest. For this upcoming mission, I want you with Captain Rex. You'll need to keep a close eye on him. He's not really fit for combat yet, but I know him. He'll try to fight anyway. Keep him safe. Please."

"Babysitting, Master? Why can't I fly with you? You said it yourself, I'm an excellent pilot."

"Yes, babysitting, _Padawan_. It's more important than you realize. Yes, there will be many other Jedi on the ground. But the men of the 501st are going to want to see a Jedi right there with them. It shows them that they _aren't_ just cannon fodder. That they're important. As for why you can't fly with me, yes, you're a good pilot. But you've never flown a starfighter. And I don't want your first time flying one to be against the cream of the Imperial Navy. Understand?"

Resigning herself to the inevitable, and slightly ashamed of the way she had come across, Seryana replied, "Yes, Master."

"Good. Now, get some sleep Padawan. You're going to need it."

Later, after Seryana was shown her bunk and had taken a long hot sanisteam, the only thought running through her head was, " _Sleep? How am I supposed to sleep now_?!" Not only was she now a full fledged Jedi Padawan, but she was apprenticed to _Anakin Skywalker_! Her exhaustion however quickly caught up to her and, despite her thoughts, she fell into a deep sleep.

_

On board the _Enforcer_ , Darth Aella walked briskly onto the Bridge. She was agitated, though to look at her you'd never know it. Her conversation with her Master had stoked her anger. " _What did he expect of her? Six months ago she was living in a backwater of the Galaxy being raised by fanatics. If he wanted a fallen Jedi so badly, and oh, yes, she was very well aware that_ Anakin Skywalker _had been Sidious' first choice for an apprentice, he should have taken one. He had several to choose from on Korriban. One day, my Master_ ," she thought. " _One day you will regret underestimating me. And on that day, I will cherish the look on your face as the life drains from your eyes, your heart impaled on the blade of my lightsaber_."

Surveying the status of the fleet under her command, she summoned Grand Admiral Coburn with a brief gesture and gave him the order to commence the attack. In her current mood her only thought was, " _He was lucky he was so efficient at running a fleet, or he would have likely ended up dead at her feet_."

Nodding and acknowledging the order, the Admiral quickly moved and gave the order. "Inform the fleet, Attack Plan Delta. Commence Base Delta Zero attack. Target, Caamas."


	28. Chapter 28: Attack on Camaas

"General Yoda!" Shouted Commodore Sykes. "The Imperial Fleet is adopting attack formation and preparing to jump to light speed. Do you have any changes to your orders, Sir?"

"No, Commodore," Yoda replied. "To the far side of the planet, we will go. Escort the _Perseverance_ we must." Turning to Anakin he continued, "Your men and your ships prepare. Disrupt the Imperial bombardment you must. Capture footage as well you should. Show the Galaxy the evil of the Sith we will."

"Yes, Master. May the Force be with you," Anakin said before rushing to the hangers.

"And with you, Master Skywalker," Yoda responded. As Yoda turned back to the front of the bridge, the stars lengthened as their small fleet jumped to hyperspace.

_

Grand Admiral Coburn felt sick. The order he had just given was despicable. But what choice did he have? If he had refused the order, Lady Aella would have simply killed him out of hand and issued the order herself. Or found someone else who was willing to. He had the feeling that he would regret today's action for the rest of his life.

Unfortunately for him, he was a professional. And he was loyal. The Empire may not be the Republic he had grown up in, but it was still the legitimate government and he was bound by honor to obey it's commands. Even if those commands sickened him. He had ordered Base Delta Zero strikes before. But that was against worlds that were openly fighting the Republic. When all other options had been tried and failed.He had never had to order one as a first resort. As a _demonstration_ to others. And this was an Imperial world! One that had openly pledged support to the Empire. This was _wrong_. The conflict in him was tearing him up. The only thing keeping him sane and functioning was a single mantra he kept repeating to himself: _Good soldiers follow orders_.

As his ships reverted to realspace over Caamas, he saw that the Planetary Shield was still raised. This caused him to raise his eyebrow in surprise. And relief. With the shield in place, there was no way to carry out the attack. Caamas had one of the strongest shields possible. And no amount of firepower that they could bring to bear would be able to disable it.

Turning to Lady Aella, he told her, "My Lord, the planetary shields have been raised. We lack the firepower to disable them outright. What are your orders?"

Darth Aella looked at the Admiral for a moment before replying. She could feel the conflict in him, his personal honor demanding he obey his orders warring with the revulsion at what he was being ordered to do. She could feel the beginnings of the self-loathing inside him that would eventually destroy him. She _savored_ it. She let it feed the Dark Side within her. It's power and strength filling her. When she replied,her voice was soft, almost a whisper. But all the more menacing because of it. "Patience, Admiral. The shield will fall. I want them to see us. To fear what is about to happen to them. To know that their deaths are upon them. They will learn only too late that it is _death_ to defy the Empire. Begin the bombardment the instant the shield falls."

Grand Admiral Barton Coburn felt his blood go cold at the words of the Sith. She was enjoying this. He couldn't do this. It was one thing to carry out a necessary evil while telling yourself it was better for one planet to die than to see hundreds suffer destruction, but this was something else. This was evil for no other reason. He couldn't do it. He _wouldn't_ do it. Without warning, he felt his throat constrict, his airway cut off. Most disturbingly, he heard the voice of the Sith inside his head, whispering to him.

Aella was no fool. She felt the Admiral's resolve stiffen, that he would not give the order. That when the time came to actually order the bombardment, he couldn't do it. He was far too stuck in the ways of the Republic. She decided to motivate him a little. Reaching out with the Force gently, almost as a lover would, she wrapped it around his throat and squeezed. Her eyes flashing yellow, she burrowed her way into the man's very thoughts and whispered insidiously to him, "Now Admiral. Is this really wise? You honestly believe you can defy the power of the Force? Let me show you what true power is."

With that Aella forced the stricken man to live out his every nightmare. Nothing was safe from her. His deepest, darkest secrets and fears were ripped from him and played out before his eyes. Aella enhancing and magnifying every sensation she exposed him to. For Coburn, it seemed to last forever. And for no time at all. Whispering in his thoughts again, Aella said to him, "Now imagine being forced to live in your nightmares for the rest of your days. Your every waking moment filled with terror, unable to rest, unable to recover. Each passing moment worse than the last. You will _beg_ for the release of death.And I will deny it. Over and over again. If you try to kill yourself to end your pain, you will be rescued and returned to health, only to have your torture start all over again. Worse than before. There are things worse than death Admiral. Obey me, or you will discover them for yourself."

With a gasp, Coburn snapped back to reality. The pressure on his throat was gone, the voice in his head as well, his nightmares and fears tucked safely back into the recesses of his mind. The Sith stood exactly where she had a moment before. Had no one noticed what had happened to him? Looking around the bridge, the personnel were going about their duties as if nothing was wrong. Hadn't they seen what she was doing to him? Apparently, they hadn't. Or they were smart to enough to ignore it. Admiral Coburn looked on the Sith with fear in his eyes. He was trapped with no way out. And he knew it. Inside him, he felt something break. Closing his eyes, he meekly replied, "Yes, My Lord. Your orders will be carried out." Turning to his gunnery officer, he said simply, "Begin the bombardment the instant the shield is down." If he was lucky, perhaps he wouldn't live long enough to regret giving the order.

"Admiral," Darth Aella said. "I've changed my mind. Begin firing immediately. I want them to feel safe behind their shield. I want them to have _hope_. Then we will shatter their illusion when the shields drop and we destroy everything they hold dear."

The revulsion that Admiral Coburn was already feeling doubled when he heard what Darth Aella wanted him to do now. But the specter of what she had promised haunted him. His only option was to comply. Grand Admiral Coburn was a beaten man. His only response to nod curtly nod to his gunnery officer and say, "Make it so." Within five minutes, the first blasts from the turbolaser batteries lanced out and struck the shield.

_

In the hanger bay on the _Redemption_ , Anakin was walking toward the shuttle that Captain Rex would be on, his new Padawan beside him. Anakin was somewhat grim, this mission was so important. Not just because it was going to help restore the public's image of the Jedi, but because they were here to save lives. Unfortunately, that was going to entail taking many lives in the process. For her part, Seryana Ky was still on Cloud Nine. It was only when she realized that Master Skywalker was talking to her that she snapped back to reality.

"Seryana, I know I told you yesterday what I want you to do down there, but I want to go over it again. As a Jedi, your first and foremost responsibility is to save as many lives as you can. But I also want you to watch out for Captain Rex. He's stubborn, and holding him back from being at the forefront of his men is going to be tough. But you've got to try."

"I will, Master. You can count on me," Seryana replied.

"I know I can, Seryana. If I thought for one second I couldn't, or that you weren't ready for this, I wouldn't be sending you down there." Pausing, Anakin reached out and touched her shoulder. "Seryana, it's going to be hell down there. You were able to avoid the worst of the Clone Wars. But when you're down there, you're going to have to make choices, choices you're going to have to live with. At some point, you're going to have to choose who lives, and who dies. Who gets that last spot on a shuttle and who gets left behind. You're going to have to choose to evacuate more civilians or to evacuate your men." Here Anakin paused for a moment, recalling when he had to make the same decision during the war. Continuing on he said, "It's not going to be easy, or pleasant. Use the Force, Seryana. Use it to guide your actions down there. Trust in it, and you'll know that you're doing the right thing. Be a _Jedi_ , not just a soldier. I forgot that too often in the war. Don't make that same mistake."

Chilled by Master Skywalker's blunt advice, Seryana blanched a bit. The reality of just what she was being called on to do finally sinking in. This was no childhood fantasy or dream. The stark reality of just what a Jedi Knight had to face was finally fully revealed to her. Seryana had a flash of doubt cross her mind. " _Was she really ready for this? Could she do this? Force, she wasn't sure anymore_."

Reading her face and her emotions through the Force, Anakin put his hands on her shoulders and told her, "Breathe, Seryana. You'll do fine down there. I have confidence in you. You fought and defeated a Sith on Tatooine. And what's more, you elected not to kill him, but to bring him to us. You did better than I did in those same circumstances. You can do this, Padawan. Trust in yourself. And trust in the Force."

Taking a deep breath, Seryana nodded and felt her new Padawan braid swing by the side of her face. "Yes, Master. I'll try," she replied.

"Good. Now, come on. Let's introduce you to Rex."

Walking over to one of the assault shuttles, Anakin called out and waved Rex over to them. Breaking off from the group, Rex made his way over to his General, and his friend. "Yes, General?" Asked Rex.

"Rex," Anakin replied. "I want you to meet my new Padawan, Seryana Ky. Seryana, this is Captain Rex. Rex and I have been through more than you can imagine. And he's one of my closest friends."

Nodding curtly to the Padawan, Rex said, "Commander," automatically assigning her the rank as he would any other Padawan.

"Captain Rex. I've heard quite a lot about you and the 501st. I'm happy to be going with you to the surface," Seryana told him.

Hearing that declaration from the Padawan, Rex cocked his eyebrow and looked at General Skywalker. His unspoken question plain on his face and demanding an explanation.

"Well, er, Rex, it's like this," Anakin told him, with a lopsided grin on his face. "You're going to need every soldier and Jedi possible down there for this evacuation. And I'm needed in my starfighter. And, well..."

"You told her to babysit me and make sure I didn't do too much, didn't you, Sir?" Rex said.

"Well..."

"And I suppose you want me to look out for her and make sure _she_ doesn't do too much either, Sir?"

Deciding discretion was the better part of valor here, Anakin started to back away saying, "There, see? You two already know what I was going to say! Good luck, but Artoo is already warming up my fighter." With that, Anakin, turned and fled to the fighter bay.

Shaking his head, Rex mumbled to himself, "'Hero with no fear' my ass." Looking at the Padawan, he judged her to be about twenty. " _Odd. Why would the General be worried about someone who should be just about ready for her trials_?" Rex thought to himself.

For her part, Seryana was a bit taken aback. " _What was_ that _all about_?" She thought. Master Skywalker looked, awkward. Hearing Captain Rex mumbling beside her, she snapped back to reality and turned to him with a questioning look on her face.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Commander," Rex said. "We've been together for years, so we tend to be a bit more relaxed. Especially now."

"Oh, okay," Seryana responded. "Still, he seemed, I don't know, awkward."

"He just didn't want to show either of us how worried he is about what we're going down there to do."

"Okay. Well, anyway, it looks like you've guessed what he wants me to do down there."

"Yes, Sir. I can't say I'm surprised. Ah, well. Let's get on that shuttle. Don't want them leaving without us."

"Right. Lead the way, Captain."

_

In the fighter bay, Anakin was preflighting his yellow Eta-2 Interceptor. Artoo, already in his socket on the wing beeped and buzzed angrily at Anakin.

"Yes, I know you already did a preflight, Artoo," Anakin told the droid. "And of course I trust I you! Stop trying to act like you haven't done this exact same thing to me before!"

Artoo's profanity laced reply told Anakin exactly what he thought about that. He also threw in aquestion at the end that Anakin had just _known_ was coming.

"Ok, first off, we really need to have a talk about your language. And second, no, I didn't have to tell em. Rex already figured it out."

Artoo's reply was somewhere between sarcastic and insubordinate. And it was enough to make Anakin think that maybe he really should have had the little guy serviced a bit more often. He was becoming increasingly independent and self aware.

"What do you think I did? I got outa there as fast as I could! Would _you_ have wanted to face Rex like that?"

The silence from Artoo was deafening. "Yeah, I didn't think so," Anakin said. As Anakin finished his preflight, Obi-wan and Zett came up to him.

"Just like old times, eh Anakin?" Asked Obi-wan.

"Wouldn't miss it, Master," Anakin told him. Motioning his old Master off to the side, Anakin lowered his voice and leaned in so only he and Obi-wan could hear and said, "I've got a bad feeling about this Master. There's something about this mission, I can't put my finger on it exactly, but it's something."

Stroking his beard and concentrating on the Force for a moment before responding, Obi-wan asked him, "Are you sure? I'm not getting anything more than what I felt before. Is it possible it's just because of what they intend to do?"

"I don't think so, Master. It's, it's more focused than that. I can feel the darkness from the fleet because of what they're doing, but this is something more. Not a trap, but something bad is about to happen."

"Well, you're senses have always been very good about that Anakin. We'll just have to be on guard, won't we?"

"All we can do. At least this time I don't think we'll be backed into an elevator full of battle droids."

"Please don't bring up the _Invisible Hand_ , Anakin. I still get nightmares about your piloting from that."

Giving Obi-wan one of his cockeyed grins, Anakin told him, "Hey, I landed the ship. Mostly."

"It's the 'mostly' part that worries me." Moving on, Obi-wan asked, "Is your new Padawan joining us on this lovely little joy ride through the fleet?"

Laughing lightly at Obi-wan's forced humor, Anakin replied, "No, I sent her with Rex. She's a good fighter, and a very skilled pilot. But she's never flown a starfighter before. Not even in a simulator. I don't want her first time out to be in the middle of the Imperial Fleet."

Just then, from his socket, Artoo piped up and let out a long, sarcastic sounding series of beeps and buzzes.

"You keep quiet," Anakin said, grateful for once that Obi-wan didn't understand Droidspeak. From the look on his Padawan's face though, Zett apparently did. At least enough to get the gist of what Artoo said.

"What did the droid say, Anakin?" Asked his old Master.

"Ummm, well, he uhhhh, he was just commenting on how he agrees with the way I assigned them to work together."

The indignant beeps coming from Artoo at that was enough that even Obi-wan knew he was accusing Anakin of being something less than truthful.

"Sure, Anakin. Whatever you say. Artoo, I'll talk to you about it later. So if your Padawan won't be joining us, who will?"

"Actually Ahsoka and Master Koon will be flying with us. And no, I didn't assign them that way, they asked to."

"Ok," said Obi-wan, holding up his hands. While Anakin was certainly a changed man, every once in awhile, he still saw his old, rebellious Padawan poke through. This was one of those times.

"Zett and I are going to go do our preflights. See you at launch."

"May the Force be with you, Master. With both of you."

"And with you, Anakin," Obi-wan said with a smile.

_

As the Jedi ships dropped out of hyperspace after their short jump, every fighter they had poured out of them. The fighters immediately formed up and streaked in towards the Imperial Fleet. As they did so, the Jedi could only watch helplessly as the first blasts from the assembled turbolasers struck the planetary shield. For a moment, the Jedi held the hope that the shields would hold, they their attacks would be enough to drive off the fleet, or at the least make it pursue them instead. While they knew that they couldn't defeat the fleet that was before them, their hope, with the shield still up, was to draw them away from the planet and give the Caamasi time to escape. This wasn't to be. Even as the Jedi grabbed onto this hope, the shields flickered and went out. And the destruction of Caamas began.

_

On the bridge of the _Enforcer_ , Darth Aella was in a near trance like state. The fear, pain, suffering and hatred coming from the planet was like a fine wine. And she savored every moment of it. She drank it in as a parched man would drink water. She gorged herself on it. And in turn, she felt her connection to the Dark Side deepen, she felt it grow stronger with every second that passed. She had never felt so connected to the Force before. She reveled in the Dark Side in all it's glory. She could feel her eyes burning as the fury of the Dark Side filled her. As she opened her eyes, she heard gasps all around her, the expressions on the faces of those around her confirming what she already knew. That her eyes, normally soft and blue, were bright and yellow, seeming almost to glow as she allowed the Dark Side to fill her.

So deep was her connection to the Dark Side that she could feel each and every being on every ship around her. She could feel their wants, their needs, their desires. She fed off of them as well. Though it wasn't nearly as satisfying as feeding off the death and destruction taking place below her. As her awareness stretched out, she suddenly jerked and recoiled as if she had touched a white hot flame. For there, at the edge of her perceptions, was a mass of Light. The stink that now filled her nostrils could only come from the Jedi. And not just one or two. No. This was _hundreds_ of them. For a brief moment, she felt real fear and panic. What could one Sith Lord do against _hundreds_ of Jedi? This was exactly what her Master had feared might happen. That the Jedi would mass their strength to strike at them.

But as she calmed, the Dark Side revealed the truth to her. The Jedi were not here to stop _her_. They were here to stop her _fleet_. And no mater how good the Jedi may be, and she had no doubt they would be very good as Darth Sidious had shown her unedited footage of the Jedi in battle during the Clone Wars, they would be no match for the immense firepower at her disposal. Turning to the Admiral, she spoke to him. Though her voice was barely above a whisper, it had the power of the Force behind it so that it seemed to echo deep within each and every being on the bridge. "Admiral, the Jedi have arrived. Launch all our fighters, and reorient our ships to fight them off. Do not let a single one escape."

Grand Admiral Coburn looked surprised. " _The Jedi?_ Here" He thought. Quickly turning to his sensor officer, he snapped out, "Report!"

Stuttering with shock and fear at not reporting the incoming fighters before Lady Aella had, somehow, detected them, he said, "S-S-Sir, ap-p-pp-proximately one hundred Jedi Starfighters inbound, Green 076. High sublight speed, attack formation."

Deep within Barton Coburn a spark started to burn. By himself, Aella would crush him. She had proven that already. But with the Jedi available? He would have to play this very, very close to the vest to pull this off. It would be like balancing on a razor's edge. But the payoff if he won, would be worth it. With a barely perceptible hesitation, a hesitation that Aella wrote off as the Admiral having another, minor, attack of conscience, he began to roar out orders. First and foremost ordering the fleet to launch all availablefighters, then barking out orders to reorient the fleet into a defensive posture and provide overlapping arcs of fire for all the ships. He prayed that the butchers bill wouldn't be too ghastly for what he was forced to do today, and he prayed that, for just once, that the Force would be kind to him and his old friend Plo would be out there and know what he was being forced to do.

As the Imperial ships disgorged their fighters, Admiral Coburn watched as the somewhat motely assortment of Eta-2s, Delta-7s, TIEs, Z-95s, ARC-170s and V-19s assembled into their various formations. " _Time to see if he could play with fire without getting burnt._ " Looking at his fighter control officer, he told the young woman, "Send the Eta-2s, Delta-7s and TIEs in to attack immediately. Keep the Headhunters, ARCs and Torrents in close for defense."

"Yes, sir," the woman replied. In seconds, the fighters were streaking away. Coburn said another silent prayer that no one would realize that he just sent away every ship piloted by the true believers in the new order, the recent recruits and non-clones. He had also dispatched every fighter that was not hyperdrive capable. They also happened to be his most maneuverable fighters and by rights should have been kept in close to maneuver around the ships. Fingers crossed no one would backstab him and tell Aella what he was doing.

_

As the Imperial Fighters closed on them, the Jedi tore into them. Though the Imperial Pilots were no doubt brave, and some even highly skilled, they were no match for the battle hardened pilots that the Jedi were fielding. Nor were they a match for Force Enhanced reflexes. " _A year ago_ ," Anakin though, " _and I would have really been enjoying this_." His flight of five had, so far, destroyed at least thirty Imperial Starfighters. Sadly, their victories had not been without loss. Ten Jedi had been hit so far, and all ten had become one with the Force. Anakin had felt their presences wink out. In no time at all though, they had blown through the Imperial Fighter screen and were moving in on the Imperial Fleet.

"Master," Anakin called to Obi-wan. "Does something seem strange to you? Their Admiral did the exact opposite of what he should have done. He should have kept his more maneuverable fighters in close while sending his heavies to attack us."

"That is odd. And now that you've mentioned it, I'm worried about it too."

Overhearing their conversation, Plo Koon joined in, "Their Admiral is either the most incompetent Admiral in the Fleet or he is trying to send us a message."

"What kind of message would he be trying to send us?" asked Ahsoka, her voice utterly calm despite speaking while twisting her fighter around in an almost unbelievably tight corkscrew to avoid incoming blaster fire before blowing the offending TIE to pieces.

"I'm not sure," said Obi-wan. "Zett, watch out for the one coming in on your right." As Zett's fighter nimbly spun out of the way, Obi-wan breathed a sigh of relief. Zett was good, but like his blade work, he thought he was better than he really was.

"I might have an idea," offered Plo. "What if the officer in charge really doesn't want to be there or participating in what he's doing? What if this is his way of showing us that?"

"You mean, outwardly, he's doing everything he can to stop us, but secretly he's making our job easier?" asked Anakin.

"Precisely. He might be trying to tell us that he wants to defect from the Empire, but can't," said Plo.

Zett, piping up for the first time, asked, "Why couldn't he defect if he wanted to? We managed to get away from Coruscant. Commodore Sykes defected. Captain Rex and his entire _battalion_ literally walked away from the Empire under the eyes of Sidious himself!"

At first, the other four Jedi all groaned internally at Zett's naivety and optimism. Defecting wasn't that simple, though all thought it must be nice to still see the Galaxy in Black and White instead of mainly Grey. But as he said that last bit, realization dawned on them. Sidious would never trust something like this to merely an Admiral. And Sidious himself would never have fallen for a stunt like this admiral was pulling. That must mean his apprentice was here.

"Zett, you've just hit the nail on the head without even knowing it," Obi-wan told his Padawan. "The fleet, and the Admiral commanding it can't just defect because Sidious' apprentice is here. He _is_ doing what the 501st did. He's outwardly doing his duty while inside, he's trying to let us know he's with us."

"I agree," said Plo Koon. "Can anyone sense Sidious' apprentice?"

After a moment of quiet while each Jedi in the flight searched through the Force, Anakin spoke up. "I've got her. She's on a Destroyer slightly above the rest of the fleet. I can feel Sidious' taint on her."

"Well, that's our target. If we take out the Sith, we just might be able to save Caamas," said Obi-wan.

A quick comm call, and the situation was explained to every Jedi present. They were to harass the fleet as much as possible while causing the minimum amount of casualties. That done, the five Jedi poured on the power and shot towards the _Enforcer_.


	29. Chapter 29: The Evacuation of Caamas

Deep inside the Sith Temple on Korriban, Darth Sidious was meditating. This was not the serene, peaceful meditation of the Jedi, who sought to commune with the Force and find inner peace and enlightenment. No, this was the meditation of the Sith. Sidious sought to bend the Force to his will. To impose his desires upon it. He had once thought that he had succeeded in doing so. But events at the Jedi Temple had shown him how far he truly was from forcing the Dark Side to do his bidding. Now, he was trying again.

It was while he was meditating that he felt his Apprentice's fear spike through their training bond. That was followed by a short burst of panic that she quickly, and ruthlessly, crushed. " _Now, what could make Darth Aella feel like that?_ " Sidious wondered. Extending his presence through their bond, something he was very careful to make sure that Aella could _not_ do, he allowed himself to feel what his apprentice felt. It was the Jedi. Hundreds of them. Cursing himself for a fool, Sidious realized what he should have known a month ago. The Jedi could never ignore an event like Caamas. They would _have_ to respond, to prevent it if they could, to save as many innocents as possible if they couldn't. He had been thinking far too much like a Sith of old. That the Jedi would ignore the innocents to strike at him, reasoning that killing the Sith would stop the bloodshed and save more lives in the long run. But that wasn't how the Jedi operated. Oh, he had molded Skywalker to think that way, but Skywalker likely wasn't on the Council and couldn't influence the Order as a whole. And that was assuming that he even still thought like that.

On the other hand, this was a golden opportunity. If he could get more of his fleet in place, he and Aella could deliver a crushing blow to the Jedi. A nearly feral grin crossed Sidious' ruined face as he contemplated what he could do. Rising to his fleet, he quickly commed his fleet and ordered Grand Admiral Josef Grunger to prepare to enter hyperspace immediately upon his arrival.

_

On board the assault shuttle, Clone Captain Rex, Grand Army of the Republic, went over the mission one more time. This one was a little different from what he was used to. _Technically_ , they weren't expecting to have to fight. They were here to evacuate as many of the Caamasi as possible. Of course, doing that in the middle of a Base Delta Zero strike wasn't much different than any other battle he'd been involved in. Just maybe more dangerous. And of course the Imperials had begun their bombardment over the most heavily populated area of the planet. And that was exactly where they were headed to as well. Several turbolaser blasts had flashed right by their shuttle already and rocked it as they went.

Looking at Commander Ky, he noticed that she was breathing pretty heavily and seemed a bit frightened. " _That's odd,_ " he thought. " _Surely, by now she should be used to this kind of thing?_ "

"Are you alright, Commander?" he asked the Padawan. He wasn't prepared for her response. When she looked up, she looked _scared_.

The question from the Captain startled Seryana. She had been trying, and failing, to meditate, to calm her nerves. She knew how she looked to the experienced officer. Making a concerted effort, she flippantly responded, "Oh, sure! What's there to be worried about?"

" _Not good,_ " Rex thought. It was worse than he thought. Deciding to try and get her mind off whatever it was that was bothering her, Rex tried to engage her in some small talk.

"So who were you with before General Skywalker?"

"No one. I was in the Jedi Service Corps as an Explorer. I was just made Master Skywalker's Padawan yesterday."

Rex momentarily froze and felt his blood go cold. " _Well, that explained the General's worrying about her._ " For the life of him, he couldn't understand why General Skywalker would send someone so inexperienced with him on such a dangerous mission.

Seeing and feeling Rex's reaction, and realizing the blunder she had made, Seryana quickly tried to put him somewhat at ease. "I'm not as raw as you might think. I've already fought and beaten a Sith onTatooine. Sliced his hand off and took him captive. I can handle myself. I've just never had to do something like this is all." Seryana saying that last part with a vauge gesture towards the planet below.

For his part, Rex was only partially mollified. While he was relived that she at least had some fighting skills if they were needed, he was worried about her judgement otherwise. He decided on an old policy, one every officer in every military in the galaxy used, "Trust, but verify." He'd trust her to do the right thing, but he was sure as hell going to check everything she did. Assuming both he and General Skywalker survived the next few hours, he intended to have a very pointed discussion with his general when he got back.

"No problem, Commander. Just stick close and listen to what we tell you and you'll be fine."

"Thank you, Captain. I will."

_

" _Well, that was a wonderful start._ " Seryana thought. She saw Rex stiffen when she told him that she had only been a Padawan for a day. " _Great, now I'm going to have two people watching me._ " She really did try not to let herself feel resentful about it. But if she was being honest with herself, she still was. A little anyway. Just then another turbolaser blast rocketed by the shuttle. Would have hit it too if the pilot hadn't jerked them out of the way at the last instant. Seryana gasped as the shuttle jerked hard and then hung her head. " _Who was she kidding? She was terrified. She_ had _to get control of her emotions. She could practically hear Yoda telling her clan all those years ago that 'Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. The path to the dark side that is.'_ "

Taking a deep breath, Seryana did her best to center herself and calm her mind and her racing thoughts. They would be landing at any moment. Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, who was commanding the ground forces, had already begun broadcasting a signal to the surface. Warning that the Empire was conducting a Base Delta Zero strike that would reduce the planet to molten slag in a matter of hours. The message included instructions on where to assemble and to be prepared to board shuttles as rapidly as possible. Once they landed she and her troopers would have to quickly exit the shuttles, cram as many people into them as they could, get them back in the air and prep the next group for evacuation. On top of that she, or rather Captain Rex, would have to detail some troopers to clear her assigned section of the city before it got slagged and get everyone back to the evacuation zone.

As the shuttle came in for a landing Seryana looked out and saw a massive crowd clamoring to be evacuated. And it was getting larger as the fires all around them grew. Stealing herself as the ramp began to lower, she thought to herself, " _Master Skywalker was right. It was going to be hell._ "

_

The noise was practically unbearable. The turbolaser blasts impacting the city. The screams from those fleeing in terror. And worse, from those trapped and dying. Jedi Master Cin Dralig had never heard, seen or felt such utter fear, pain, suffering and hatred before in his life. And the smells! Smoke, plasma, dust, sewage, blood and burning flesh mingled together to form a noxious miasma that was practically enough to make him retch. Already too, he could feel the heat from the firestorms that would sweep the planet very soon. If there was a hell, Caamas was surely doing an admirable representation of it.

In the sky above, if he looked hard enough, he could see the flashes and explosions as Skywalker's fighters clashed with the Imperial Fleet. The bombardment had lessened noticeably since Anakin had launched his attack. He assumed that the Admiral commanding the fleet above had repositioned his fleet to deal with the incoming threat. But some ships were still firing at the surface. Though from significantly higher, reducing the effectiveness of their strikes. A small blessing, but he would take what he could get.

In the time since they had landed the crowds, if anything, had grown. And this despite the fact that the dozen shuttles under his command had already made one run up to the waiting frigates and were halfway loaded again. Though their _Theta_ -class shuttles normally only held sixteen passengers, they had crammed nearly sixty into each one, using every inch of available space to do it. They had evacuated seven hundred from the planet so far. The frigates had flown here with skeleton crews on board, so could hold more than normal. In addition, the hangers would also be used for space for the refuges. And so would every other nook and cranny they could find. All told, they were expecting each frigate to cram several thousand beings into them. Master Dralig felt sorry for the less than hospitable conditions they would have to endure on their circuitous route back to Tython, but reminded himself that being cramped for a week or so was far better than being dead for an eternity.

Across the landing field, he could see Master Skywalker's new Padawan working with Captain Rex. She looked like she had her hands full. Several times he saw her put her hand on the Captain's shoulder as if to restrain him from rushing off. Thinking on it, that made sense. Rex had just had his leg replaced a few weeks ago. By rights, he should still be back on Tython. But from all he had heard about him, the man was as stubborn as Anakin and could not be kept away. If that was all the young Padawan had to deal with, he would have left it alone. But she was also trying to organize the Caamasi around her into some kind of order to make loading the shuttles easier. Families, young people and scholars had priority for the shuttles. Of course, that was in an ideal situation. And this was anything but. Sighing to himself, Cin Dralig made his way over to the frazzled Padawan.

_

Seryana was growing desperate, and the evacuation had only just started. They had evacuated seven hundred terrified Caamasi from the planet so far. But the crowds were larger than before they started. And all of them were clamoring for a spot. Master Skywalker's warning to her was all too true. She was being forced to decide who got a space on the shuttle and who didn't. It was terrifying. And the Force! The Force was screaming in a way that she couldn't remember since the night the Temple fell. And even then, she hadn't felt it as strongly. Probably because her connection to the Force wasn't as strong or active then a small part of brain told her. But now, she could feel the pain, suffering and death around her intensely. She was doing her best to block it out, but everytime she tried, she felt her connection to the Force dim and weaken as well. She was still too clumsy with some of her shielding techniques to do what she needed to.

"Padawan, you look like you could use some assistance," she heard a voice from behind her say. Turning, she saw it was Master Dralig. With a sigh, she sagged with relief.

"Yes, Master. I do. I'm drowning here..." she said. Unfortunately, she couldn't finish the thought as the shuttle besides her closed it's ramp just then and the shuttle itself rocketed up into orbit to deliver another precious cargo. The sound of the engines had drowned out the rest of what she said.

Lucky for her, Master Dralig had gotten the gist of what she said. Bending down and looking her directly in the eyes, he grabbed her upper arms and told her, " _Breathe_ , Padawan. Keep your focus here and now. Concentrate on what you're doing and how many lives you're saving. These people are looking to you now. They don't see a frightened young Padawan. They see a _Jedi_. A symbol of hope. That is what you have to be now. They look at you and they see _hope_. The robes and lightsaber you wear mark you as something different, something special. And those around you will draw strength and comfort from you because of that. Remind yourself constantly of the _good_ that you're doing here. Think of how many will be alive tomorrow because _you_ were here today. Be strong for them now."

Before Seryana could even respond, Master Dralig had turned and walked away back to where he was needed. But his words stuck with her. Heeding his advice, Seryana took a deep breath, well, as deep as she could considering how fetid the air around her was, refocused her mind and got back to work. That's when she realized that Captain Rex was no longer there. The first thought to cross her mind was, " _Anakin's gonna kill me._ "

_

Rex knew he shouldn't have run off the way he did. And he knew he was going to hear about it later from both the Padawan and, more importantly, General Skywalker. But what choice did he really have? One of his squads had radioed in that they were pinned down by burning debris and needed help. On top of that, this particular squad had just evacuated an orphanage and was loaded down with kids. There was no way he was just going to abandon them. He supposed he could have sent a couple of his men to scout out a path and get the missing squad back, but they were already short handed at the evacuation point. Better for him to do it himself. At least that was what he had told himself.

But that had been six klicks ago. And his leg was hurting now. But he was a soldier. And a damn good one. No way would he quit now. He thought he had found a way through to his trapped squad, but there was a massive mound of debris between him and them. Judging by the position indicators on his helmet display, his squad and the kids were only separated from him by about ten meters. He thought he saw a path, sort of, that led to the top of the mound. It looked like the debris narrowed there, they might be able to dig through to each other. Rex nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand landed on his shoulder.

He had been so absorbed in trying to figure out a way to get to his people, and doing his best to ignore the pain in his leg, that he had completely failed to notice anyone coming up on him. He made up for that with his reaction. He spun towards the figure while simultaneously leaping backwards and swinging his blaster up. The only thing that stopped him from instinctively pulling the trigger was the familiar brown robes and lightsaber of a Jedi. Afterwards, he would find the shocked the expression on the Padawan's face at his reaction hilarious. But at the moment, he was trying to get his heart rate back down.

" _Kriff_ , Commander! Try not to sneak up on me like that. I almost put a bolt into you!" Rex told the Padawan.

"Sorry. But what are you doing out here?" asked Seryana.

"Trying to rescue a trapped squad with a bunch of kids, Sir."

"I know that. What are _you_ doing out here? Master Skywalker gave us both strict instructions Captain."

"Yeah, I know. But I'm not leaving my brothers behind. And the rest of my men were needed at the evac point. Question, Commander? If you're here, who's in charge of the evacuation?"

"Sergeant Fox. You do realize that Anakin is going to kill us both when we get back, right?"

"Probably."

"Alright. Just so you know. They're on the other side of this?" Seryana asked, nodding her head towards the mound of debris.

"Yes, Sir. Looks to be a bit narrower up top. And the Squad Leader on the other side says the debris stops about the same height as the roof in here."

"Ok. Lets go take a look."

As they turned to climb up to the top, Rex felt the pain in his almost double. " _Kriff, he should have listened to those damned medics back on Tython._ " Grunting with each step, he slowly made his way up. When he saw the Commander giving him an odd look, he waved it away and told her simply, "Old injury. Don't worry about it."

Seryana had just opened her mouth to call him out on the bald faced lie, but at the last second thought better of it. She needed him right now, and unnecessarily pissing him off wouldn't help her any. As they reached the top, they could see where the debris mound narrowed from ten meters to about seven. That still left a lot of material to move though. " _Unless..._ " thought Seryana. Looking up, she realized that the ceiling of this room was nothing more than the floor of the one above it. She could cut a hole in the floor between the girders with her lightsaber, have Rex give her a boost and then cut another hole in the wall above the debris and pull everyone up. Of course, that's assuming the floor above them was clear and not piled with debris. If it was, and she cut through it, she'd bury them both alive. " _Kriff, she hated decisions like this._ "

"Problem, Commander?" Rex asked.

"Well, we've got two options," replied Seryana. "We can try and dig through about seven meters of debris made up of Force knows what, or I can cut a hole in the ceiling with my lightsaber and we pray that that the floor above us is clear. Opinions?"

It was at times like this that Rex was _very_ glad for his helmet. He was pretty sure the young Jedi Padawan wouldn't much appreciate the grimace on his face right now. Giving the Jedi a noncommittal grunt, he held up a finger and commed his cut off squad to see if they had a better view. But as it turned out, they didn't. What they did have was an approaching firestorm and the need to get out of there yesterday. His Commander didn't look pleased when he told her the situation.

_

Seryana heard the report from Captain Rex with mounting apprehension. She needed to decide and decide now. When it came right down to it, she really couldn't risk it. They'd have to get through the rubble. She and Rex began yanking as much debris out of the way as they could while the squad, and even some of the kids, did the same from the other side. Seryana was finding new uses for her lightsaber too.Whenever she came across a chunk too big to handle, she took her lightsaber to it, slicing it through, breaking it into smaller, more manageable pieces. Between all of them, they'd managed to dig through about a meter and a half of debris when the trapped squad radioed in and said the firestorm was almost up on them.

When Rex told her that, Seryana's heart sank. It wasn't enough. They couldn't get through to them. There was just too much debris and not enough time. She looked at the wall with despair in her eyes, tears starting to roll down her face, leaving streaks in the dirt, dust, soot and grime that coated every inch of her.

" _NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_ " She screamed. She was _not_ going to abandon them! She would not let the Sith get away with this. Looking at Rex with an almost feral look in her eyes, she told him, "Tell the other squad to move clear. I'm not very good at this, but it's their only shot."

With that, she stood in front of the debris and braced her feet apart. Calling upon the Force with all her might, she pulled her right hand back and then threw it at the wall, blasting at the wall with every ounce of Force Energy she could muster. The debris creaked and shifted, dust flew up from it, small pieces poured down like rain. Twisting her body, she threw her other hand it, hammering at the wall with the Force. The debris started to shudder and lurch. Sucking in a great breath of air, Seryana drew both hands back, arched her back and then violently threw her body and arms forward, the Force making a tremendous boom when it hit the wall, pieces of debris, some as small as a hand, others as large as a speeder flew out and away, hurled nearly a hundred meters across the open, cavernous space. And there, before her, a small hole, just big enough for one being at a time to climb through was open.

Sagging with relief and exhaustion, Seryana smiled at Rex. "Get them through," she panted.

"Already on it, Commander," Rex told her. "Catch your breath, eh?"

Nodding and giving him a half hearted wave, Seryana found a somewhat level spot and dropped down on it, sitting to catch her breath. As she watched, the first of the rescued children came through the hole she had blasted in the debris. The Clones were certainly hurrying. In no time at all the rescued children and the Clones had all made it through. And just in time too. The flames from the approaching firestorm were practically licking at their heels as they came through the hole. The troopers and Seryana scooped up the children in their arms and started to run. They had to stay ahead of the flames and get back to the evac point as soon as possible.

Panting with exertion, the troopers and Seryana made it back to the evacuation site. Behind them, the city and the very ground it stood on burned. Smoke was choking the air. And as the ships in orbit continued firing, moving ever closer, the air was getting hotter. The superheated plasma of their turbolasers blasting the world apart, vaporizing dirt and dust, making water flash to steam, and slagging rock, durasteel and everything else in their path into rivers of lava. The only saving grace so far had been that only a few ships were firing at the surface. The rest were in a defensive posture to counter the attack Master Skywalker had launched.

After seeing the children placed safely on the transports, Seryana and her troopers had gotten back to the task at hand. In the time they had been gone, nearly two hours, over three thousand had been evacuated. In addition, several shuttles and private ships had been found, ones that the Empire hadn't already blown apart (their first blasts had targeted the space ports), and been pressed into use, letting more Caamasi be evacuated. But the crowds were still enormous. And it suddenly dawned on Seryana that they wouldn't be able to save everyone. That in another few hours, at most, she would be forced to either evacuate more Caamasi and consign herself and her men to their deaths, or order her troopers onto the last shuttles and abandon anyone left to their fates. It was enough to make her cry.

_

On board the _Perseverance_ , Commander Tel Daggoth watched from the bridge as thousands of Caamasi streamed onto his ship. Under normal circumstances, an _Acclamator_ -class Assault Ship could carry sixteen thousand Clone Troops. But his command, and the circumstances, were anything but normal. With the modifications that had been made to the ship, and considering the fact that they were conducting an emergency evacuation, both General Yoda and Commodore Sykes were expecting him to fit over fifty thousand on board. It was doable. Just. If he assigned three Caamasi to every rack, rotating who got to sleep in eight hour shifts, that would give him room for forty-eight thousand. Doing the same with the crew would give him another fourteen hundred. And that still left the entirety of the hanger bay, the classrooms, the simulators and every other space that wasn't absolutely critical to the operation of the ship.

Privately, he wanted to fit between sixty and seventy thousand onboard. He thought he could do it. His only concern was having enough provisions, especially water, for everyone. He'd run the calculations, and if they fit everyone on that he wanted to, they'd have to be on very strict rationing to stretch their supplies until they arrived back on Tython. But if he pulled this off, not only would it go a long way towards ensuring the survival of the Caamasi as a species, but it would do his own career and chances for promotion no harm either. A year ago he'd be a junior lieutenant on a corvette. Being outspoken against the New Order had earned him a jail cell on Carida. But then, in just a few short months, he'd gone from a junior officer to being the Executive Officer of the fleet flagship, and now he had a command of his own. And as much as he liked having his own ship, what he wanted was a Star Destroyer. And sooner or later, he knew that their little fleet would be getting some. When that time came, he wanted to make sure he was the first person thought of to command one.

Turning his mind back to his task at hand, he asked his XO, a young Deveronian woman that had been imprisoned with him, what the status was on the loading. He was pleased at the reply. So far, over twenty-thousand were aboard. One third of the way there. He only prayed that they would have enough time to complete their mission before the turbolaser induced firestorm swept over the entire planet.

_

Jedi Master Djinn Altis was up to his eyeballs in refuges. And he wouldn't have it any other way. He had brought his ship, the _Chu'unthor_ down to the surface to load as many as possible as fast as possible. He had also detailed his lone shuttle craft to help with the general evacuation, giving Master Yoda an additional ship to help speed things along. And rescue a few more at the end. While his ship was nowhere near as large as the Assault Ship that the Order had managed to lay their hand on, he could fit perhaps six or seven thousand on board. Coupled with the four thousand that each of the frigates were expected to have and Force knows how many the _Perseverance_ was going to fit, quite a few Caamasi would live to see another day. Enough to at least ensure the survival of their species.

Djinn had to remind himself that at the moment, he was walking a very fine line. While he always was and always would be a Jedi, he did not agree with the Order's stance on emotion. And at the moment, he felt nothing but revulsion and anger at the Empire for what they were doing. It was very hard to keep that from spiraling into full blown hate. While he liked to tell himself that he was still on the side of the Light, if he was being completely honest, he knew he was more Grey than anything else anymore. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Some of the greatest Jedi to ever live had been Grey. Revan and his wife, Bastilla Shan for example. They had most certainly both been Grey Jedi. So was one of their closest companions, Jolee Bindo. In fact, one of his most prized possessions was a text written by Bindo detailing his journey with Revan and his philosophy on the Force. He used it to show his students that there was a vast distance between the rigid light and dark philosophies normally espoused by the Jedi and Sith. That it was possible to exist in that space, while still upholding the _ideals_ of the Jedi. He had to remind himself of that now. To keep himself from slipping too far and letting the negative emotions he was feeling take root.

Shaking his head as if to clear his melancholy thoughts, Master Altis redoubled his efforts to save as many as possible. Several of his students, he preferred that term to the more formal "Padawan," were outside busily organizing the refugees into some kind of order. Turning on his heel, he headed out himself, seeing what his followers did not. The refugees were on the verge of panic as they, one by one, realized that there wasn't room for them all. For Djinn Altis, he would don the mantle of Jedi Master one last time and do his best to calm those present. Even if that meant staying behind with them to show that that they were not alone.


	30. Chapter 30: The Enforcer

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I am so sorry for the extended delay in getting this chapter up!! I started a new job in January and my writing time dropped to practically zero. And, well, for as good of an idea of how I wanted this chapter to go, it was a cast iron bitch getting it actually worded the way I wanted it. I think I wrote then deleted it four or five times before I was satisfied with it! Hopefully I'll be able to keep up a much more regular schedule from here on out. Thanks for sticking with the story and I hope you enjoy!

_

The five Jedi Starfighters that made up Anakin's flight were hurtling through the Imperial fleet. Their laser cannons spitting fire at Star Destroyers and fighters alike as they passed. Wreaking havoc among the Imperial ships, the Force guiding the Jedi the entire way. Gunnery officers on every ship were growing frantic as the Jedi evaded every shot sent their way. More and more turbolasers were pointed at them, seeming almost to make a solid wall of energy before them. But still the Jedi flew on. Again and again entire squadrons of starfighters were vectored in on the five Jedi. And again and again the results were the same, entire squadrons left as flaming wrecks with distress beacons pinging from pilots that had ejected from their disintegrating craft. Wave after wave of fighters, all trying to halt them, and still the Jedi came.

In his customized yellow Eta-2, Anakin was flying with a focus and determination that he had never felt before. The Force was flowing through him in a continuous stream, more powerful than he had ever experienced. Time seemed almost to slow, each brilliant green lance of energy from every turbolaser fired at him seemed to move in slow motion. His movements appeared to be almost casual, yet they were utterly precise. His fighter looked as if it was barely moving, yet it evaded every shot. His own laser and ion cannon firing with impeccable precision at targets that didn't even register on his fighter's targeting system, so rapidly did they appear and disappear. Yet every shot was true. Behind him, he left a trail of flaming wreckage. Ahead of him, gaped the open maw of the Star Destroyer's ventral hanger bay. With a final, precise shot from his ion cannon, the shields surrounding the bay flickered and went down, giving the Jedi the crucial few seconds they needed to fly into the hanger before the shields could be rerouted and restored.

It was enough. As one, all five Jedi Starfighters shot into the hanger bay. Sparks flew as they skidded to a halt inside the bay. The canopies on the fighters flew off as the five Jedi leapt out them, their lightsabers igniting almost as one. Batting aside blaster bolts from the Stormtroopers in the hanger with ease. Their blades flashing, the five Jedi moved steadily towards the exit and the turbolifts leading to the bridge. The assembled Stormtroopers desperately trying to stop them.

_

Grand Admiral Barton Coburn watched the scene in the hanger on the security holos. He was frankly amazed. He had always known the Jedi were good. But not _this_ good. And this was just five Jedi. Imagine what the Order could accomplish if they could ever bring their full strength to bear. He was also gratified to see Master Koon down there. It seems that the Force did indeed answer his prayers. As he watched, the Jedi closed on the defending Stormtroopers and began to cut their way through them. At first, he regretted the loss of life he was causing. While casualties were nothing new to him, these deaths felt particularly pointless. All caused by one man's greed and lust for power. But as he continued to watch, he realized that most of the Stormtroopers weren't being killed. Instead, the Jedi primarily looked to be severing hands, arms and legs. Traumatic and disabling injuries to be sure. But nothing that couldn't be fixed with a few weeks in a bacta tank and a prosthetic.

Darth Aella glided silently up beside him and watched the holo as well. "Weak fools," she muttered under her breath as she shook her head. "The Jedi are too squeamish to even kill their enemies. No wonder they fell with such ease when Lord Sidious attacked them."

"With respect, My Lord," Coburn said, ever conscious of the game he must play to have even a prayer at surviving, "I've fought alongside the Jedi for many years. They are determined and fearless warriors when need be. I personally know four of those Jedi. Three of them are the finest duelists the Order has ever produced..."

Holding her hand up, Aella silenced the Admiral. "I'm well aware of just who is down there, Admiral. May I suggest you deploy every available man and woman on this ship to stop them from reaching the bridge?"

"My Lord, many of the crew have had almost no training in wielding blasters or fighting off borders. It would be like sending grazers to the slaughter."

"I care not for their lives, _Admiral_. Do you honestly think, for one moment, they have any chance at all of stopping the Jedi?" Laughing quietly, Aella continued, "At best, they'll slow the Jedi down. Distract them. Tire them out. Maybe wound them. That is all I'm counting on."

"As you command, Lord Aella." Giving the order to his Security Officer, he mentally begged forgiveness for the pain and suffering that order would cause.

_

Djinn Altis stood and watched as his ship, the _Chu'unthor_ , lifted off without him. He was proud of his Jedi. They had managed to fit nearly seven thousand Caamasi into his old ship. And every last one of them had volunteered to stay behind so they could fit just one more on board. They were true Jedi all. Knowing them was his life's honor. He felt sure that each and every one of them would write their names into the annals of the Jedi Order. He had already commed Master Yoda, told him what he was doing. Yoda had looked on him sadly, knowing they would never speak again. But he had assured him that his sacrifice would never be forgotten, and his pupils would always be welcomed in the Jedi Order. At the end of the conversation, Yoda had simply told him, "May the Force be with you, Master Altis." A simple phrase, one that had become the standard farewell of the Order over the millennia. But now, hearing it at the end, Djinn fully realized the enormous import of that one simple phrase. It warmed his heart and eased his spirit as he prepared to meet his end alongside those he had sworn to protect.

Turning to the thousands of Caamasi left before him, he slowly made his way through the crowd, pausing to offer comfort and hope to those left behind. He was gratified to see that not a single child was left in the crowd. His apprentices had gone through the crowds and made sure to rescue every child they could find. Touching an arm here, a shoulder there, Djinn Altis whispered comfortingly to those with him. Everyone there knew there was no hope. Not for them. Even if the Jedi had more ships to send, they would never reach them in time. Already they could see the firestorm approaching. The superheated plasma of the Imperial turbolasers lancing down through the atmosphere to strike the ground they stood on.

As they watched, a shadow passed above their heads. As Djinn turned to look, he saw the dagger shape of an Imperial Star Destroyer pass over head. Closing his eyes, Djinn muttered to himself, "I am one with the Force." Opening his eyes for the last time, he watched as a turbolaser shot straight towards him. Before he, or anyone else, could react, it struck. Master Altis was a Jedi to the end.

_

Zett was letting out a string of curses so profane and eloquent that even Anakin, who could curse fluently in nearly every language of the Republic, was impressed. The occasion for said cursing was a blaster bolt that had slipped through Zett's defenses and come close enough to his head to sever his Padawan Braid and leave a heat blister behind as proof of it's passing. On the plus side, the close call seemed to serve as a wakeup call to the young man about just how important keeping his form tight was. Since his braid had been unceremoniously cut, Zett's lightsaber work had tightened up considerably. For Obi-wan, he was just grateful that Zett had learned the lesson relatively painlessly.

The volume of blaster fire pouring at the five Jedi was like nothing Anakin or Obi-wan had seen since the fall of the Temple. Whoever was on the bridge of the Star Destroyer, they were no fool. They were sending every man, woman and soldier that could carry a blaster to stop them. They wouldn't, of course. Well, they wouldn't as long as they didn't get careless. Anakin, Obi-wan and Plo stayed in front, blocking nearly every shot that flew at them. The few that did manage to leak past were handled, mostly, by Ahsoka and Zett. Anakin knew Ahsoka was serious about this, she had both lightsabers out and lit. Unlike Zett who was openly cursing, and would likely get a stern talking to about his language from Obi-wan later, assuming they all survived of course, Ahsoka was muttering some particularly vile Huttese curses under her breath. Anakin was simultaneously both proud and ashamed that his old Padawan had taken after him so much.

Finally, they reached the bank of lifts at the base of the neck. Unlike on the _Invisible Hand_ , they had all been disabled. Giving Obi-wan a sly grin, Anakin said, "Well, we couldn't expect them to make things _too_ easy, could we?" Reaching for his com-link, Anakin called R2. "Artoo, I need you to override lift number 22576." Artoo's response was not long in coming.

"Seriously? You guys would never get anywhere without me. I need a raise," Artoo responded.

"A raise?! Artoo, none of us even _get_ paid! Please just tell me you're overriding the lift."

"That's my point! I don't get paid enough to continually bail you guys out like this. And yes, I'm overriding the lift. What did you think I was doing? Chatting with the nice Mouse Droids?"

"You and I _really_ need to have a talk about your attitude when we get home Artoo."

"Whatever, the lift should be there in five seconds."

" _Thank_ you."

"Are you _sure_ he doesn't need a memory wipe, Anakin?" Asked Obi-wan.

"Depends on what you mean by 'need.' Besides, I think it would just be cruel to do that to him. He's been through so much, he's practically a rolling encyclopedia of the Jedi Order."

"If he had the capacity to, I'd be seriously worried about him developing a drinking problem."

"Hey. Knock it off. He's saved our butts more times than either of us can count."

Ahsoka was just standing there shaking her head at the two of them. No matter how often she had seen them do it, the fact that they could carry on a seemingly normal conversation in the middle of a battle _still_ impressed her. As the lift doors opened behind her, first Zett, then herself, then Master Koon and finally Obi-wan and Skyguy backed into it. Only when the doors shut and they were safely on their way towards the bridge did they deactivate their lightsabers and take a moment to collect themselves. Obi-wan and Plo chose to briefly meditate, Zett followed his Master's lead, Anakin took the time to send his love to Padme and his children through the Force and Ahsoka spent it checking her lightsabers to make sure they were still in top condition.

_

As Darth Aella watched the Jedi make their way through the ship, she had to admit a grudging admiration for their single minded determination to reach her. Dismissing them as a threat merely because they were Jedi would be a fatal mistake. While the arrogant and self assured part of her believed she could defeat all of them, the realist in her knew that if she stayed, she'd die. Her Master had shown her the holo he had secretly made of Skywalker dueling Tyranus. Though Lord Sidious had intended for the holo to be a very different kind of lesson, Aella had learned that she was no match for Skywalker one on one. Let alone when he was supported by the additional Jedi with him. She had to cut down the odds. And she had a pretty good idea on how to do it.

Gathering the Dark Side to herself, she used the pain and suffering emanating from the planet below to enhance her power and abilities. Darth Aella wore the Dark Side like a cloak. To any who cared to look, she appeared as nothing more than a shadow. On the surface of the Force, she would appear as nothing at all. But deep within it's depths, she was a wound. An open sore in the very fabric of the Force. Her Master had told her of Darth Nihilus, how he could suck the life out of anyone through the Force. Aella was now trying the same. To drain those around her of their Force Potential and thus increase her own power. Easing herself into the recesses of the bridge, she awaited the Jedi's arrival. They would not be long in coming.

Darth Aella could feel the repulsive touch of the Light as the lift they were in drew ever closer. It revolted her. Not just the Light Side, but the way the Jedi themselves felt. Arrogant, self-righteous, restrained. It sickened her to think that any being would chose to live their life with such restrictions placed upon them. The Jedi utterly failed to grasp the true nature of the Force. The Force was _power_. And no Jedi would take that from her. As her eyes glowed a sickening shade of yellow, Darth Aella sank deeper into the void in the Force she had created. While the Jedi would no doubt sense her dark presence surrounding the ship, they would not sense _her_. Grasping her intricately carved lightsaber hilt tightly in one hand, she watched as the doors to the lift opened.

_

As the lift rose towards the Bridge, Anakin stretched out with the Force, feeling for the Sith they were sure would be there. To his surprise, he felt nothing but a vague darkness surrounding the entire ship. Judging by how concerned Obi-wan and Plo looked and felt, neither had they. Taking a deep breath, Anakin plunged into the Force. The warmth of the Light enveloped him as he sank deeper and deeper into it, following the paths Master Yoda had showed him all those months ago in the Jedi Temple on the day their world as they had known it had ended. As Anakin dove further into the Force, he felt it's currents pulling him towards a dark shadow. _"The Sith,"_ he thought. _"You cannot hide from me, Sith. The beginning of the end of your Order is near."_

Rising from the depths of the Force, Anakin turned to Obi-wan, "The Sith is on the Bridge. Cloaked in Darkness. She's buried herself so deeply in the Dark Side that searching on the surface of the Force won't find her."

Before Obi-wan or Plo could confirm that, the lift glided to a stop. As the lift doors began to open, all six of the Jedi's lightsabers snapped to life. Before the doors could even be opened all the way blaster fire from the Clones stationed on the bridge began to pour through the doors. Anakin and Obi-wan sent every shot back through them, hitting the very clones that had fired them. The confined space and the sheer volume of fire coming at them didn't allow the Jedi to harmlessly redirect the Clones shots this time. And for Anakin, he felt the death of each and every clone keenly. These were men he had come to respect and admire. And taking their lives hurt. _"The Sith would pay for these deaths,"_ he thought darkly.

As they began to advance out of the lift, the three Jedi Masters began to scan for the Sith. Both with their eyes and the Force. Suddenly, and without so much as a warning flicker from the Force, blue Force Lightning shot from out of the corner of the Bridge, catching Zett squarely in the chest and flinging him back, his robes smoking. The suddenness and violence of the attack momentarily distracted the Jedi. And a moment was all that was needed. A bolt slipped through Plo Koon's guard and caught him on the shoulder. Another burned a hole through Obi-wan's robes, missing him by millimeters, raising a heat welt on his skin.

And from out of the shadows, the Sith hurtled at them. Darth Aella's lightsaber glowing blood red and held out in front of her as her body twisted and flew through the air. Flying like a lance straight at Ahsoka. Behind him, Anakin could hear his old Padawan fighting for her life, her twin lightsabers clashing against the Sith's. But he could do nothing to help her. Not yet. There was still too much blaster fire coming from the remaining Clones. And with both Zett and Master Koon down, it fell to him and Obi-wan to fend it off. Until they were neutralized, he was helpless.

_

The attacking Sith had _almost_ caught her by surprise. But Ahsoka hadn't spent years being trained by Anakin to be caught quite _that_ unaware. With her lightsabers flashing, she dueled the Sith, determined to bring her down. Striking high and low nearly simultaneously, she began to press the Sith back, slowly gaining the upper hand. As Ahsoka whipped her left handed blade through the air toward the Sith's neck, the Sith dropped at the last millisecond, cutting her timing so close that the smell of singed hair soon filled Ahsoka's nostrils. As the Sith dropped, she lashed out with a booted foot, forcing Ahsoka to leap and flip back, surrendering the ground she had gained, cursing all the while.

Rushing back into the fight, Ahsoka pushed herself harder and faster than she ever had before. Her blades moving so fast they were nothing but a blur. The Sith responding in kind, her single red blade seemingly always there to intercept her own blue ones. And then, just when Ahsoka thought she had the fight won as a hole slipped open in the Sith's defenses, Darth Aella unleashed hell.

_

So far, Aella was pleased. The Jedi had been caught almost completely unawares. The Padawan was nothing but a smoking pile of meat and the Kel Dor was seriously wounded by blaster fire. Of course that still left Kenobi, Skywalker and Skywalker's Padawan. But the odds were better than they had been a minute ago. And she was confident she could take out the Togruta. Skywalker and Kenobi were another mater. Hopefully the Clones would keep them occupied enough for her to kill them. And if not, well, that didn't bear thinking about.

The Togruta she was currently facing was very good. Fast and aggressive. She liked that. It made it easier for her to lure her into her trap. As their blades flashed against one another, Aella began to gather the Dark Side to herself once more. All the pain and suffering around her was feeding her like nothing ever had before. If it wasn't for having to kill the Jedi, she would be in a near trance-like state. The fact that she _couldn't_ fully enjoy it was fueling her anger. Which in turn fed her hate. And her hate made her powerful. Just as the Sith Code said it would. As the Dark Side swirled around her, she found herself starting to grin. The sheer _exhilaration_ of reveling in the Dark Side was incomparable. As the Jedi before her were about to find out.

Slowly giving ground to the Jedi, she called upon the Dark Side and began to compress it within her, packing more and more Force energy within her cells. Shaping and molding it into a ball of power until she could hold no more. Then, for the first time since the Jedi had appeared on the Bridge, she spoke. Her voice, when it came, sounded as if it was coming from a great distance, from the very depths of the Force itself. "And now, _Jedi_ , you die," she said.

Saying that, Darth Aella released the full power of the Dark Side within her, the Force exploding out of her in a storm of such violence that it began to rip the Bridge apart, consoles and view screens exploded and shattered, Force Lighting flew from her body in every direction, as the transparisteel of the bridge windows exploded outwards, the bridge crew and the Clones on the bridge were blown out into the vacuum of space. Only a few lucky ones with the presence of mind to grab something solid were spared. With satisfaction, she watched as the Jedi were flung against arcing equipment and into walls. The Togruta who had been dueling her crumpled as the full fury of the Force Storm struck her and threw her into a crew pit, knocking her unconscious. As the emergency blast shutters slammed shut over the Bridge windows, she surveyed her surroundings. Cursing to herself, she saw Skywalker and Kenobi still on the Bridge, shaken but alive. And Skywalker was turning to face her.

As she held her lightsaber in front of her, she felt her limbs shaking. Not out of fear, but out of exhaustion. Darth Sidious had warned her that too rapid and powerful use of the Force could leave her drained. And so it had this time. She knew she couldn't beat Skywalker at her best, let alone in this state. As she desperately tried to fan the flames of the Dark Side within her, her mind was racing to come up with a solution. Her best, and really only, option was one she despised. But she didn't have a choice when it came right down to it. Using the few brief seconds she had remaining until Skywalker recovered enough to kill her, she turned to flee through the Bridge doors. Though before she fled, she had one last thing to do. Spying Admiral Coburn shakily getting to his feet she thought, _"Oh good, he's still alive,"_ and called out, "Oh, Admiral, _thank you_ for your service." And with that, she crushed his mind with the Force, setting all his demons free to torture and torment him for the rest of his days.

As she ran to the escape pods, she felt a curious mix of satisfaction and disgust. She had defeated three Jedi simultaneously. But _still_ had to run in defeat. Next time, she promised herself, there would be no retreat. Reaching the escape pods, she practically flung herself into one, feeling Skywalker coming up fast behind her, his huge reserves of Force Power propelling him after her. Slamming her fist down on the launch button, she felt the pod fire out into space less than a second before Skywalker's lightsaber burned through the interlock door on the Destroyer. Steering her pod towards the _Dominator_ , she commed that ship's Captain and told him to prepare for her arrival. This day's work was far from over.

_

Anakin had just batted the last bolt from the Clones aside and was about to turn and help Snips when the Force itself seemed to erupt around him. He was battered and slammed from every angle while lightning danced across his vision. Sensing the bulkhead rushing up to meet him as he was flung back, Anakin threw a shield up around himself at the last second, somewhat cushioning his impact. Though the bells ringing in his ears and the stars in his eyes told him he still hit pretty hard. As the transparisteel of the Bridge windows shattered, he anchored himself with the Force. Looking around through squinted eyes as the Force Storm raged around him and the atmosphere rushed out into the cold, dark void of space, he saw Ahsoka, unconscious and as limp as a rag doll, flying towards the gaping maw of the destroyed bridge. Grabbing her with the Force, he pulled her to him just seconds before she would have been lost forever.

As the Storm around him eased and the Bridge emergency shutters slammed down over the shattered transparisteel, Anakin gently lowered Ahsoka to the deck. Breathing a sigh of relief that his bond with his old Padawan was still intact, he checked her briefly for injuries. Finding nothing more than what he expected, a bruised skull and maybe a couple of broken ribs, he stood and snapped his lightsaber back into existence. Turning to glare at the Sith, he was just in time to watch her crush the mind of one of the officers on the Bridge and take off running. Yelling to Obi-wan that he was going after her, Anakin tore after the retreating Sith, the Force speeding his passage, the walls blurring as he ran.

 _"You will pay for this Sith. You harmed my family. There is no escape for you now, Dark One. You. Are. Mine,"_ Anakin though as he ran the Sith down. Seeing her diving into an Escape Pod, he lunged after her. His only thought being, _"Kriff! Why didn't I have Artoo lock down the Escape Pods? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"_ As Anakin watched, the doors to the Pod closed and it prepared to fire. Making one last supreme effort, Anakin flung his lightsaber straight at the door, but just as the tip of the blade touched the door, the Pod fired. Skidding to a halt, he peered through the small hole his blade had torched through the door as the atmosphere alarms blared around him. He didn't have long before the section depressurized, but what he saw was enough. The kriffing Sith was headed straight to one of the other _Imperial_ -class Destroyers.

Hurrying back to what was left of the Bridge, Anakin was shocked at the amount of damage that had been done. There was not a single functioning console left. Some had merely shorted out due to the Sith's lightning, others had been almost literally blasted to fragments. Looking around, he saw Obi-wan administering emergency first aid to Master Koon, his Padawan and Ahsoka. Master Koon had literally thrown himself over Zett when the Sith had unleashed her Force Storm. And he had suffered for it. His breathing mask was on the verge of failure and several sharp pieces of metal seemed to be embedded in his back from when a console near him had exploded. It was a miracle that he was able to stay conscious long enough to anchor himself with the Force when the Bridge windows shattered.

Spotting a few officers that were still alive, one of which appeared to be the ship's Captain, Anakin walked over to them. They appeared to be trying to calm down a deranged human wearing an Admiral's uniform. At least he thought it was. The uniform was white and had rank insignia he hadn't seen before. Walking towards the man, Anakin held up his hand and sent soothing waves of Force Energy towards the man. As the man calmed slightly, Anakin told him, "Sleep." Almost instantly, the man was asleep. Turning back towards the officers, he put his hands on his hips and glowered at them slightly.

When he spoke, his voice was almost unnaturally calm, especially considering how he was feeling at the moment, his Sister was laying on the deck hurt and unconscious, a young Padawan was hurt and Master Koon had been severely injured. For just a moment, Anakin had seen red and felt the elusive call of the Dark Side, seeing his friends hurt like that. That he was able to resist even slightly tapping into his anger had surprised and pleased him. Of course, that didn't change the fact that he was still _really_ angry.

"Are you the Commanding Officer of this ship?" Anakin asked.

"I am, Sir. Captain Nico Medina, Imperial Navy."

"You know who I am?"

"I do, General Skywalker."

"Good. Will you obey my orders, Captain? Or must we place you under arrest?"

Captain Medina had never faced a more difficult decision than the one he faced right now. He had served the Republic for most of his life. Was even one of the few to have commanded a Republic Cruiser before the outbreak of the war. And as such, he had had more contact with the Jedi than most. But the Navy was his _life_. Was he really willing to throw it all away? This was a decision that needed deep thought. Unfortunately, he didn't think General Skywalker would give him that time.

"I...I...I...I, I will, General."

Giving the Captain one of his trademark grins Anakin told him, "Good! The Sith that was here, she took an escape pod, headed towards the Destroyer off our starboard beam. I have no doubt in my mind she'll be targeting us as soon as she reaches it. So we need to get out of here."

Turning to his few remaining officers, Captain Medina told them, "Back to your stations. Now! See what still works. Make sure we're still in control of the ship. If not, be prepared to take over at secondary control. You, Lieutenant!" he said, pointing at a junior officer. "Ensure the shields are still up. If they're not, _get_ them up. Anyway you have to!"

As the remaining officers rushed around the Bridge, trying to salvage whatever they could, Anakin walked over to Snips. Kneeling down next to her, he gently touched her forehead, then her cheek. Seeing her so pale and still unnerved him. Thinking back, he remembered when she had first arrived on Christophsis and blithely announced that she was to be his new Padawan Learner. She was _such_ a ball of energy. She had to get better. Closing his eyes, Anakin reached for the bond with his old Padawan and told her through it, _"Get better soon, Snips. We need you out here._ I _need you out here. Your family is here for you. Always."_

Looking at Obi-wan, Anakin asked, "How are they?"

"Touch and go. Ahsoka should be fine. I've got her ribs stabilized and I injected her with a mild sedative to keep her from moving around too much. Zett took a full charge of Force Lighting straight to the chest. Far worse than Dooku gave to you on Geonosis." Obi-wan gave a quick grin to Anakin at that seeing his brother's grimace at the reminder of the duel where he had lost his arm. "But Plo, he's not doing well, Anakin. His breather was damaged in the Force Storm. And then these shards of metal in his back. I don't know a thing about Kel Dor anatomy. So I don't know if they're mostly harmless and we can pull them out or if we do pull them, if it will kill him. We need to get all three of them to Master Che as soon as possible."

Nodding in agreement, Anakin told him, "I'll do my best Master."

Standing up, Anakin walked over to where Captain Medina was standing and asked, "Status, Captain?"

"Sir, almost every console and station on the Bridge is destroyed. The only thing that is working is the announcing system and one engine status display for a secondary engine. Everything else is down."

"I thought as much. Prepare your men to take command at secondary control."

"Aye, Sir."

Looking at the comm panel Anakin though, _"Eh, why not?"_ and keyed it up. Speaking into it he said, "Attention all hands. This General Anakin Skywalker of the Grand Army of the Republic. As some of you may know, Chancellor Palpatine, a man I once considered a dear friend and mentor, has betrayed the very Republic he swore to defend. Chancellor Palpatine, as he has openly admitted, is in fact a Sith Lord. I am asking you, here and now, to uphold the ideals of the Republic that you fought so hard for. Join with us. Help us to restore the Republic. Don't let your loved ones live in fear. Don't let the tyranny of the Sith destroy the Republic we all knew and loved." Pausing briefly, and realizing that more than empty platitudes were needed, Anakin let real emotion into his voice as he said, " _Please_. We need your help. We can't win this fight without you."

Amazingly, Anakin's wild idea actually worked. Out of the sixteen-thousand crew on board, almost all of them joined with them. Those that refused, were seized and either placed in the brig, or shoved into escape pods and jettisoned from the vessel. They had seen first hand what the Sith were like. Almost to a man, they had been sickened by the destruction they had been ordered to unleash on the planet below. Most of them were Veterans. And all had heard of the Hero With No Fear. While they may not quite trust the Jedi, they were infinitely better than the Sith.

Turning once again to Captain Medina, Anakin simply said, "Let's go, Captain. We've got work to do."


	31. Chapter 31: The Battle Ends

Commander Tel Daggoth watched from the Bridge of the _Perseverance_ as the last of the refugees he could fit boarded his ship. His crew had gone above and beyond what was expected of them. They had managed to cram not fifty thousand, not sixty thousand, not even seventy thousand Caamasi on board, but had managed to pack in eighty-two thousand three hundred. Granted, drawing so much as a deep breath was difficult at this point for the refugees, but such was the cost of saving lives. Just as he, reluctantly, gave the order to raise the ramps and prepare the ship for launch, Commodore Sykes came over the comm to inform him that the _Chu'unthor_ and the three frigates were also full and were preparing to break orbit once he joined them.

As the _Perseverance_ slowly lifted off the surface, there was not a dry eye left on the Bridge, or anywhere on the ship for that matter. There were millions still on the planet that would not live to see the next day. It broke their hearts that they were having to leave so many behind. As the landing gear was retracted, the main engines began to move the ship away from the surface and toward the rest of the fleet. At his command station, Commander Daggoth forced himself to watch the external holocams that were focused on the remaining Caamasi. He watched as many took their own lives, choosing to end it quickly with a blaster than to wait for the approaching firestorm. Daggoth liked to think of himself as a hardened soldier. But seeing that broke something inside him. He felt a deep inner sadness at this horrible, senseless act. But more than that, he began to feel an all consuming rage and hatred for the Empire and the Sith. Privately, he swore vengeance upon the Empire. He would do whatever it took, whatever the cost, to destroy them and make them pay for this. He was not alone in those sentiments.

Seryanna had just gotten her latest load of refugees onto the shuttle when her comlink went off. It was Master Yoda. Looking very sad, he informed her, and the rest of the Jedi, that the ships were full. That once the shuttles delivered their passengers to the fleet, they would return to the planet only once more to evacuate the Jedi, Troopers and the final few Caamasi that they could fit. The choice Master Skywalker had warned her that she would have to make was here. To escape with her Troopers, or to stay behind, evacuate just one more person, and accept that she was going to die.

Stifling a sob, she turned to Captain Rex and told him, "Rex, prepare your men to evacuate. The ships are full. The shuttles are on their way back now. Then they leave for good."

"What about you, Commander?" Rex immediately asked.

Giving Rex a halfhearted sad smile and with her eyes brimming with tears, Seryanna gave a small shake of her head and told him quietly, "No."

Turning quickly away before Rex could say anything Seryanna made her way back into the crowd, pulling children and their mothers up front quickly. Above her she heard the scream of the approaching shuttle while in front of her, she could hear the roar of the approaching firestorm. She could feel its heat on her face. And as it got closer, she could feel the force of the wind increasing as the air all around was sucked into it, feeding the fires. When the flames finally died, Caamas would be a dead husk of a planet floating through space. Unable to support even the lowest form of life. _"And she would be there too,"_ Seryanna thought. _"Her ashes would mingle and mix with those who had lived here. And maybe one day, when the planet finally cooled, someone would return and find the charred remains of her lightsaber and know that a Jedi had died for these people."_

As the men of the 501st loaded the last of the refugees that they could fit onto the shuttle, Seryanna did her best to maintain calm and order with those before her, those that were going to be left behind. She knew, despite her tears, despite her dismay at the fact that she would be dead in minutes, that the minute Captain Rex and his men boarded that shuttle, pure pandemonium would break out. She was going to do her best to stop it.

Calling Rex on his comlink, Seryanna asked, "Rex, what's the hold up? You've only got minutes left to get everyone onboard and get the kriff out of here."

"Going now, Commander," he responded. "And Commander, I'm sorry."

As Rex finished speaking, he squeezed the trigger on his blaster and shot Seryanna in the back with a stun bolt. Picking her up and ignoring the shocked look on the faces of the Caamasi that were still there he said to her unconscious form, "Sorry kid. But the General would never forgive me if I left you behind. And besides, you're too good a person to die today." Amazingly, Rex's shot to stun Seryanna was the only shot fired on the ground during the entire evacuation.

As Rex stood at the top of the ramp, he watched the faces of the Caamasi they were leaving behind. Rex was a hard man, a Professional Soldier all his life. He had seen and fought across half the Galaxy. He'd had his brothers die in his arms. But looking out over the masses of Caamasi that were left, the sheer look of despair on their faces, the way many were openly weeping, clutching their loved ones tight in a final embrace, it moved him deeply. In his living memory, Rex could not ever remember crying. Yet now he felt the tears running down his face under his helmet. Listening to the sounds his squad was making on their comlinks, he wasn't the only one who was.

With a solid thud, Darth Aella's escape pod landed on the deck of the Hanger Bay of the _Dominator_ after having been brought in via tractor beam. The ship's Captain was waiting for her as soon as she climbed out of the pod. "Lord Aella," he greeted her.

"Save the pleasantries, Captain," she replied. "Open fire on the _Enforcer_ immediately. It has been seized by the Jedi. I want it destroyed."

"But My Lord..." the Captain started. The look that Darth Aella gave him nearly froze him in his tracks. "It will be as you command, My Lord." Quickly comming the Bridge with his orders, the _Dominator_ opened fire on the _Enforcer_ within minutes.

In Secondary Control on the _Enforcer_ , Anakin surveyed the command screens to familiarize himself with the status of his new ship and what it could do. He wasn't entirely unfamiliar with it, the Republic Navy had been designing the ship with input from the Jedi for over a year. What was disconcerting to him was the amount of red showing on his screen denoting battle damage. Fortunately, the weapons, shields and, more importantly, the engines still worked.

Looking at Captain Medina, Anakin asked him, "Captain, how quickly can we get out of here?"

"Ten minutes, General," came his reply. "It will take us that long to plot a jump course and move free of Caamas' gravity well."

"Try and shave a little bit off of that, will ya? I don't think we've got long."

"Captain! The _Dominator's_ targeting arrays just locked onto us!" Yelled a young ensign.

"Lieutenant, did you get the shields up?" Asked Captain Medina.

"Aye, Sir! All shields at full power."

"Excellent work," said Anakin. "What's your name, Lieutenant?"

"Gilad Pallaeon, General."

Just then, the entire ship rocked as the _Dominator's_ turbolaser batteries opened fire on them. Quickly checking the status displays, Lieutenant Pallaeon shouted, "All shields still holding! Midship dorsal shield at eighty percent!"

"Weapons free, Captain. Defend your ship," Anakin said quietly.

"Weapons! Target the _Dominator_. Weapons emplacements and propulsion have priority. Fire when ready," ordered Captain Medina

"Aye, Sir," came the reply from the weapons officer. Seconds later, the _Enforcer's_ turbolasers lanced out from the ship, slamming squarely into the _Dominator's_ shields. The two behemoths trading blows, shot after shot screaming between the two ships, all while the _Enforcer's_ engines roared, trying to move the ship away from the planet to make the jump to hyperspace.

Walking over to the communications console, Anakin contacted Obi-wan on his comm and was relieved to hear that Master Plo, Zett and Ahsoka were all in the ship's Medical Bay being attended to by the Med Droids. Obi-wan then asked the question that Anakin knew was coming: "What's going on up there?"

Anakin's response was, typically, nonchalant, "Oh nothing much. We're trying to leave but it seems as if the Empire just doesn't want to let us go. I think they're attached to us or something."

"You're fighting off the entire fleet, aren't you?"

"Well, maybe not the _entire_ fleet. They are rather busy at the moment. But yes, we are trying to fight our way out."

"Just tell me you're not flying the ship yourself this time."

"Of course not, Master. There's a quartermaster at the helm. I'm just supervising."

"Good! Do you need anymore help up there?"

"No, Master. Stay with your Padawan. He needs you more than I do right now. Besides, I've got to contact Master Yoda. I don't want the rest of the fleet to panic when an Imperial Star Destroyer shows up at Tython. Some of us are considerate like that. Unlike others."

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you Anakin?"

"No, I'm not. May the Force be with you Master."

"And with you Anakin."

Disconnecting from Obi-wan, Anakin quickly reached out to Master Yoda using an open channel. He hated doing it, but until they could comb through the destroyer's computer and communication systems looking for bugs and tracking software, they couldn't risk encoding it. It took all of three minutes to explain the situation to Master Yoda. Yoda simply nodded and said he would ensure their safe passage back home. Signing off, Anakin looked at Captain Medina and asked, "Are we ready for the jump to lightspeed, Captain?"

Before he could answer, alarms began to blare and the entire destroyer shook. From his console, Lieutenant Pallaeon shouted, "Sir! Hull breach in Engineering! That last volley from the _Dominator_ punched through our shields. Main Propulsion off line. All atmosphere vented to space. Attempting to isolate and restore atmosphere."

From the communications console, the ensign manning it said, "Sir, no response from Engineering!"

Cursing up a storm, Captain Medina ordered damage control parties to head immediately to the Engineering section to try and repair the damage. At his console, Gilad Pallaeon worked furiously to isolate the damage and restore atmosphere to Engineering so they could repair the damage.

Anakin, meanwhile, stood quietly at the rear of the compartment, his arms folded across his chest, deep in thought. While the situation was bad, it was far from the worst he'd ever been in. Looking up he said, "Captain, how many shuttles do you have onboard?"

"Sir?" Replied Captain Medina.

"How many shuttles and landing craft do you have onboard?"

"Ten shuttles and thirty landing craft, Sir. Why?"

"I want you to launch all of them. Minimum flight crew required. No more than three personnel per ship. Send them all to the surface. Save as many people as you can. We'll provide cover fire for them. How many have a hyperdrive?"

"All of them, General. The landing craft were refitted with them six months ago."

"Perfect. Give them these rendezvous coordinates. We'll meet them there." Turning to Lieutenant Pallaeon who was still working diligently to get his ship back under control and said, "Lieutenant, status of the Hyperdrive?"

"Damaged, Sir. Seventy-five percent capacity. I won't vouch for it for more than three or four jumps."

"Understood. Captain, I assume the Navy equipped your ship with a transponder and tracking software?"

"Already disabled General. One of Admiral Coburn's last orders, Sir."

"Very good. As soon as the shuttles are away, take us to lightspeed. If we stay here we're going to get pounded to scrap."

"Aye, Aye Sir."

From the sensor array station, he heard the report called out that the other Jedi ships had all made the jump to lightspeed and were safely away. Their shuttles too were about to leave. Looking out over the battlefield through the holocam, Anakin could see the masses of wreckage strewn across space. Mostly Imperial, but here and there he could see the remains of a Jedi Starfighter. He would have to wait for a full accounting, but at a guess, almost half of the Jedi that had flown into battle with him only hours ago were dead. _"They had won, but at what cost?"_ Anakin wondered. As he watched, the stars began to lengthen and the _Enforcer_ shot into hyperspace. The Battle of Caamas was over.


	32. Chapter 32: Truth or Consequences

Anakin checked his chrono for what seemed like the thousandth time. _"What was taking so long?"_ he wondered. Obi-wan had gone down to the planet below them hours ago to try and negotiate for the use of their dockyard to effect needed repairs to the _Enforcer_. Anakin was fidgeting and he knew that it was completely unbecoming of his rank as both a Jedi Master and Senior Jedi General. Of course, if this world refused them the use of the dockyard, they were pretty much stranded. The hyperdrive had completely failed during their last jump and it had taken them nearly a week to finally reach this system using nothing but the sublight engines. And even those were showing signs of severe strain from the battle and subsequent use. If they didn't get the ship fixed, and soon, they were completely karked.

The one good thing that had happened so far was that all the shuttles and landing craft they had dispatched to the surface of Caamas had managed to get away safely and meet back up with them. He and Obi-wan had used that opportunity to send Zett and Master Koon back to Tython for Master Che to treat. Zett would probably be fine. While Force Lightning hurt like hell, and could kill you if it was strong enough, the blast that Darth Aella had hit him with wasn't quite strong enough to do that. Though if he wasn't seen by the Jedi Healers as soon as possible it could cause permanent damage. Master Koon on the other hand was far more serious. His breather had failed and the med droids had gotten him hooked up to the correct gas mix only just in time to keep him from suffering brain damage. He had been unconscious since his heroics on the Bridge and had been unable to use the Force Breath technique to sustain himself. Ahsoka had flatly refused to leave. Despite her four broken ribs and concussion. Anakin couldn't help but smile at his old Padawan. Even now she was standing, swaying was more like it, in the Secondary Control Room with him, anxiously waiting for Obi-wan's signal.

Finally, after what felt like an interminable wait, Anakin's comm went off. It was Obi-wan. He was brief and to the point, "We've been approved. Orbital Dock Twenty-eight. I'll see you there."

As the _Enforcer_ slowly eased her way into the dock, Anakin surveyed the men and women around him. They were good people all. And the concern they had shown for their Commanding Officer, Grand Admiral Coburn, was touching. He had been sent to Tython along with Master Koon. _"Hopefully Master Yoda or one of the healers would be able to piece his shattered mind back together,"_ Anakin thought. Turning back to the present, he heard Captain Medina give the order to shut down the engines. The Orbital Dock's tractor beams would hold them in place until repairs were finished. Truth be told, if the engines hadn't needed such urgent repair, Anakin would have ordered them to be kept on stand-by. They were above the planet Pammant and in the Pammant Docks. The very same docks that had built the _Invisible Hand_ , General Grievous' flagship. Now, they were about to repair an Imperial Star Destroyer commanded by the two Jedi responsible for the destruction of the _Invisible Hand_. If anyone ever suggested that Obi-wan _wasn't_ the finest negotiator in the Galaxy after this, Anakin was going to suggest that they get their head examined.

_

On Coruscant, Bail Organa sat in his office in the Senate with his head buried in his hands, tears streaming from his eyes. Master Yoda had sent him holocam footage of the Destruction of Caamas. Some appeared to be shot from a star fighter, while most of the rest had been shot on the ground. You could practically _feel_ the terror those poor beings felt before being immolated in the planet wide firestorm. The Senate, hell, the _people_ needed to see this. Bail was half tempted to march into the Senate Rotunda and put this footage on a continuous playback loop for everyone to see.

Of course, he couldn't _actually_ do that. He would be arrested before he could get out of his pod. And most likely tortured for information on the Jedi. Or worse, they would torture Winter instead. And _that_ , he could _never_ allow. No, what he needed was for the media to get ahold of this and for them to play it. Then he could truthfully say he got it off the holonet. But even as he thought it, he realized that the media would never release this footage. They were under Palpatine's thumb as much if not more than the Senate was. How? How could he get this out to the public? Just then, the holonet display in his office shimmered and buzzed with static. And suddenly, the diminutive form of Master Yoda appeared in front of trillions of viewers galaxy wide.

 _"Citizens of the Galaxy. I am Yoda. Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, I am. Lied to you about the Jedi, Palpatine has. Betrayed the Republic, we did not. Sought to save the Republic, we did. But ask you to take my word, I do not. Show you, we will the evil of the Empire. Proof we have, that ordered the destruction of Caamas, the Empire did."_

As Yoda finished his last sentence, the image shifted to display the battle above Caamas. It was filmed from what had to have been the most expertly piloted star fighter Bail had ever seen. It perfectly captured the fleet of Star Destroyers above the planet and showed them firing down on the planet below. The image broke up a bit as the craft started to spin and gyrate wildly, dodging incoming fire, it's own laser cannons spitting fire back at it's attackers. Meanwhile, Yoda narrated what was being shown.

 _"This craft, flown by Jedi Master Skywalker it was."_ In the background, you could hear Anakin's voice calmly discussing something about the fleet they were facing with several other, what Bail assumed to be, Jedi. One sounded like Obi-wan. _"Flew into battle against an entire fleet to stop this attack did Master Skywalker. He and over one hundred other Jedi with him. Many were lost. Attacked, they did, so that other Jedi might save as many lives as possible. Every ship we had, we sent. Saved nearly one hundred thousand, we did. But billions killed, there were."_ The sadness in Yoda's voice was easily discernable to everyone who heard it as he delivered that last sentence.

The image shifted again, this time showing the scene on the surface. It clearly showed the Jedi on the ground, hurriedly loading the terrified Caamasi into shuttles. But more than that, it showed Clone Troopers. All proudly wearing the shoulder flashes for the 501st Battalion. Additionally, each Clone's armor had been modified to include a Republic sigil in red on the opposite shoulder. The Clones were just as busy as the Jedi. Loading the people into shuttles, organizing the evacuation, even rushing into the middle of a Base Delta Zero strike to rescue people that were trapped in the city. He saw a group of children being carried out of the burning city by what looked like a Clone Captain, a Jedi Padawan and a squad of Clones. Only vaguely was Bail still aware of Yoda's voice continuing to narrate.

 _"Much help the Jedi had in this. Proud we are to call the men of the 501st our friends. Much bravery did they show. Saved many, many lives they did. Lost some of their Brothers they did as well. This tragedy, left no one untouched, it has."_

The holo shifted once again as Yoda finished speaking, this time to another orbital shot. It looked to have been recorded from a great distance with a macrobinocular lens. It showed Caamas, half the planet engulfed in flames, the burning world shooting flames so high they were visible from orbit. The image also showed the Imperial fleet slowly and methodically advancing around the planet, firing as they went, spreading the inferno across the entire world. As the image played, Bail felt a sickening horror deep in the pit of his stomach. From what seemed like half a world away, he heard Yoda's voice continuing to speak.

 _"Showed no mercy did the Empire. Destroyed the entire planet, they did. But even amongst this tragedy, heroes there are. The crew of the Star Destroyer_ Enforcer _, defected they have. Brought their ship with them, they did. Stand ready they do to defeat the Emperor. Seen for themselves the horror that is the Sith."_ At that, the image jumped again, this time to what appeared to be a security holo on the practically destroyed Bridge of a Star Destroyer. As Bail watched, the Sith, for what else could she be with a glowing red lightsaber in her hand, spoke with a soft, almost haunting voice. She thanked a man in an Admiral's Uniform for his service, then made a crushing motion with her hand. Almost immediately, the Admiral started to scream and claw at his eyes, flinging his body around the ruins of the bridge. If anything, Bail felt his revulsion double at what Palpatine had caused. It was only when Master Skywalker appeared and spoke to the deranged man that the Admiral seemed to calm and fall into a deep slumber. What a contrast. The cruelty of a Sith, verses the compassion of a Jedi. Of all the things that Master Skywalker could have been doing in that moment, he took the time to aid someone in desperate need. As if launching a major rescue mission wasn't enough proof, the young Jedi Master had just given the galaxy a concrete example that even one individual life was important to the Jedi. Just as importantly, the holo showed the Captain and his entire surviving bridge crew abandon serving the Emperor and declare for the Republic and the Jedi. Those men and women would be heroes to everyone that learned of it and yearned for freedom. This, Bail could use in his efforts to recruit for their budding rebellion.

As the image faded back to that of Master Yoda, Bail could hear the resolve in Yoda's words, the iron in his voice as he said, _"Citizens of the Galaxy, for nine hundred years have I been Jedi. Always sought to serve the Republic I did. But arrogant I became. Arrogant did the Jedi become. In our arrogance, failed you we did. Failed to stop the rise of the Sith, we did. By our inaction, allowed Darth Sidious to become Emperor we did. Your forgiveness we must ask._

 _"Declared war on the Galaxy, the Emperor has. Defeat him, we will. Your aide, in time, needed will be. The Republic and the Jedi, survive they do. Together, bring peace to the galaxy we can. May the Force be with you."_

With a burst of static, the Jedi's transmission was ended. With a shock, Bail realized that he had been holding his breath. Letting it out in a rush, he began to breathe again. Yoda was a genius. Hacking the holonet, overriding every station, broadcasting his message into trillions of homes across the galaxy. Bail felt sure that the Destruction of Caamas would be the beginning of the end for Palpatine.

_

Deep in the bowels of Coruscant, Darth Aella screamed. Or rather, she tried to scream. Her throat was raw from the days of screaming that she had done. All that escaped was a moan. Four days ago, at least she thought it was four days ago, her Master had arrived over Caamas with his own fleet. Instead of summoning her to his ship, he had instead flown immediately to hers. As she knelt before him in the hanger, the Force seized around her and bound her tighter than Mandalorian Iron. With nothing but a look, Sidious raised her into the air till her eyes were leveled with his. She could still hear his words echoing through her mind, _"You disappoint me, child."_ As her Master spoke the last word, her world went dark. When she awoke, she found herself bound by the Force, unable to move, the dark, menacing presence of her Master seemed to wrap itself around her as he held her immobile.

And the _worst_ part, was that Sidious hadn't had to say a word. She had known that she had failed him. Oh, she could try and paint a rosy picture. At least fifty and possibly up to one hundred Jedi, dead. Caamas destroyed. She had personally faced down three of the finest swordsmen in the Jedi Order, plus a Jedi Knight who was no slouch herself and a Jedi Padawan. And lived to tell about it after. But none of that would matter. And she knew it wouldn't matter. She had fallen into the trap her Master had warned her about. Letting her emotions and the Dark Side control her, instead of her controlling them. _If_ her Master let her live after this, she vowed to be better. She _had_ to be better. She was _Sith_.

Without warning, she dropped to the floor. Without her Master holding her in place, her limbs began to shake uncontrollably. The after effects of the Force Lightning and various other Sith torture methods making themselves known. With effort, she called on the Force to still her limbs. She may be weaker than a newborn nexu cub, but she was damned if she was going to let anyone else see that. Suddenly her Master's bony finger was under her chin, tilting her head up to look at him. His eyes glowed yellow. From the tip of his finger, a trickle of Force Lightning flowed into her body, stiffening her and making her taste her own blood yet again as she involuntarily bit her tongue. This was just a reminder of her Master's power. The power of a true Master of the Dark Side. She _craved_ this power. With the barest nod, Sidious released her and the lightning ceasing. In the rasping voice she knew so well, he told her, "Rise, my Apprentice. I trust you have learned your lesson."

"Yes, my Master."

"Good. We have much work to do."


	33. Chapter 33: Time Marches On

Darth Aella had just run her lightsaber through the last guard protecting the control center of the shipyard on Gwori. The guards were actually very good. Some had even managed to get off three separate shots before she cut them down. Definitely an improvement over what she normally faced. Of course, Gwori could afford to hire top notch security. After all, they did have an absolutely massive shipyard.

With a flick of her fingers, the doors to the control center flew off their hinges and slammed against the far wall, turning another guard to pulp in the process. The fool had been standing right behind them when she blew them apart. _"Ah well,"_ she thought. _"Collateral damage wasn't really her concern. Just as long as the shipyard was still functional when she was done. Besides, she would have killed the guard in the next few seconds anyway."_

Standing at the center of the room, head held high, shoulders back and a defiant, if resigned, look on his face, stood the facility's director. Jotun Jade. As Aella glided towards him, he seemed to shrink into himself slightly. _"Perfect, the spell was already working,"_ she told herself. It really was a simple thing. Very similar in a way to the Jedi's Mind Trick. But this Force technique was much more, insistent. It would break down all his mental barriers and compel him to tell her everything she wanted to know. In truth, she probably didn't need to use the spell. She really didn't need much information from the man, and a few questions would be more than sufficient. But why give up an advantage when you didn't have to?

"Director Jade, in the Name of the Galactic Empire, I hereby order you to surrender the station and submit yourself, this facility and the planet to Imperial Occupation. Failure to do so immediately will result in the deaths of anyone you hold dear. Your answer, Director?"

Oh, he wanted to tell her to crawl back into whatever hellscape she crawled out of. It was plain on his face. But the spell she had slid into his mind forced him to give her what she wanted.

"I...I...I...I submit...myself and this...facility...to Imperial Occupation."

"Wise choice. Transmit the order to shut down all automated defense systems and order your guards to lay down their arms."

"As you..as you command, My Lady."

 _"Oh, he was a strong one! Most beings would be fawning all over her by now trying to please her. Yet he still fought. Interesting,"_ she though quietly to herself. _"He wasn't Force Sensitive, yet, he did have more of a connection to the Force than most. I wonder..."_

"Director, where is your family?"

"My family is...they're...they're here in the..station. In my...quarters."

Turning to Commander Cody, she told him, "Dispatch a squad and bring them here."

"Yes, My Lord," he responded instantly.

Fifteen minutes later, a fiery redheaded woman, who was struggling mightily, and a little redheaded child were half marched, half carried before her. Reaching out with the Force, she quickly examined their auras. She immediately dismissed the adult, but _the child_. The child was another matter entirely. TheForce seemed to almost burst from her in a raging torrent, wild and untamed. It seems her mission to subdue the planet and secure the shipyard for the Empire was bearing more fruit than she originally thought it would. The girl looked to be about three years old. _"A prime age to begin training her in the ways of the Sith,"_ she thought. _"She might even be strong enough to become her own apprentice one day."_

With a glance at the Stormtroopers and quick gesture with nothing but her eyes, they quickly separated the two, dragging the woman over to stand next to her husband. Aella meanwhile walked over to the girl and knelt before her. She gave the girl a rare naturally warm smile and said, "Hello little one. My name is Aella. What's yours?"

"Mara," she replied in a small, scared voice.

Smiling at her again, Aella said, "You don't need to be afraid of me, Mara. I'm a friend."

Looking up at her with large, green eyes, Mara asked her, "Are you a Jedi?"

Laughing slightly, Aella said, "No, I'm not little Mara. Why would you think I was a Jedi?"

Mara pointed to Aella's belt and said, "You got a lightsaber. My daddy told me that lightsabers were used by the Jedi."

The smile Aella gave her this time was not nearly so warm. "I'm no Jedi, Mara. The Jedi aren't the only ones to use a lightsaber. I'm a Sith. We're much, much better than the Jedi. Would you like to see my lightsaber?"

Mara nodded eagerly as Aella unclipped it from her belt and activated the blood red blade. With a snap-hiss the blade shot out of the hilt and hummed quietly. Giving a slight rumble as Aella moved it about slightly for Mara to admire. For her part, Mara couldn't take her eyes off of it. _"Good,"_ she thought. _"The girl is already fascinated by it. This is going to be even easier than I thought."_

"Mara, dear. Do you know what makes the Sith, and the Jedi, different from others? Why we're the only ones that carry a lightsaber?" Mara shook her head. "It's because we have the Force. Something that ordinary beings don't have. Only truly special people have it."

"Ohhhhh," said Mara, her eyes big with wonder.

"You're one of those special people, Mara. You have the Force. Just as I do."

" _I do_?!"

"Yes! Close your eyes. Concentrate on your emotions, your happiness, your fear, your joy, your anger, your love and your hate. They all let you feel the Force and feed it. The Force is a flame deep inside you. Use how you feel. Pour your feelings onto that flame and it will burn bright inside you."

Aella watched Mara's face become pinched in concentration as she struggled to grab the flame inside her. Suddenly, Mara's eyes flew open, " _I feel it_!!" She shouted. Aella smiled. Mara's eyes, normally a deep emerald green had given just the briefest flash of amber. Her journey into the Dark Side of the Force had just begun.

"Would you like to learn how to use the Force, dear Mara? I can teach you. And one day, you'll have a lightsaber all your own."

Mara nodded eagerly. "Good. Come, take my hand. I'lltake you to a very special place where you'll become very powerful and special."

Mara took Aella's hand and they began to walk towards her shuttle. Suddenly, Mara stopped. She looked up at Aella with her head cocked to one side and asked, "What about my Mommy and Daddy?"

"I'm sorry, Mara. But your parents don't have the Force inside them. Only you do. Where we're going is a very special place that's only for people who have the Force. But don't worry, I'll make sure your parents are taken care of."

"You promise?" Mara asked in a small voice.

"I promise." Aella then turned and said, "Commander Cody."

"My Lord?" He responded instantly.

"See to it that the Jades are taken care of, will you?"

"At once, My Lord."

Looking down once again at Mara, Aella said, "See? I keep my promises little Mara."

"Ok," said Mara. "Thank you." As she turned to wave goodbye to her parents, her last sight of them was as the Stormtroopers in the room slowly closed in around them. As Aella's shuttle pulled away from the station, the sounds of blaster fire could just faintly be heard coming from the control room.

Looking at her shuttle pilot, Darth Aella told him, "Set course for Korriban. Inform the fleet that they are to continue the mission here. I need to go to the Academy."

_

Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker stood in the training room of the Academy on Tython. Before him, stood Rancor Clan. His children's Clan. The Clan was originally to have been called Tauntaun Clan. But then his children decided to act, well, like his children. When Luke, Leia, Galen and Ezra got together, they usually ended up tearing through things like a rancor. It didn't take long for the Clan's name to be officially changed. Now they were about to begin their first lesson in lightsaber combat. Anakin had, by this point, trained hundreds of children in the basics of using a lightsaber. And dozens more in more advanced techniques. But somehow, he just knew this class was going to be different.

Of course a lot of things were different now. Seryanna had been Knighted six months ago. Padme, on top of being named Supreme Chancellor, was pregnant again. And due in just a few weeks. Only one child this time though. Master Che said it would be a boy. And on top of all that, at the same time that Seryanna had been Knighted, he had been called to the Tower of First Knowledge and offered a seat on the Council of First Knowledge. _"It's truly amazing how much things have changed,"_ Anakin thought. _"Despite everything going wrong in the Galaxy, despite the near death of the Order five years ago, how much happier he was now."_

Giving himself a small smile and slightly shaking his head, he turned his full attention back to the class in front of him. Stifling a sigh, he saw Luke, Galen and Ezra all grouped around Leia, whispering conspiratorially. Leia, as much as she was his little princess, was definitely the ringleader and head trouble maker of their group. Between the four of them, they put his antics back in the Temple on Coruscant to shame. He could only imagine what they were about to get up to now. A quick reminder that lightsaber practice was not the time to fool around would probably be a good idea right about now, Anakin decided.

Stepping silently up to them, Anakin dropped his hands onto Luke and Leia's shoulders, making them jump. "And what would the four of you be whispering about?"

"Nothing, Da..Master Skywalker," Leia quickly said. A little _too_ quickly in Anakin's opinion. He also noticed that she remembered at the last second that, during training sessions, Anakin wasn't Daddy. He was Master Skywalker, Jedi Master, Member of the Council of First Knowledge and Battlemaster of the Jedi Order.

"Uh-huh. Initiate Skywalker, it's considered highly unbecoming of a Jedi to lie to people. Especially to Jedi Council Members." Having said that, Anakin gave Leia a look. Truth be told, it was one he had learned from Padme. She would use it on him all the time whenever he started getting evasive about his missions. nnaas almost as effective on Leia. Her cheeks burned red, knowing she was caught. But her stubbornness, inherited from both Anakin and Padme, made her just purse her lips together and refuse to answer.

It was far more effective on Luke. "Wewere gonna show off what you showed us before," Luke said in a rush.

Giving a slight groan and running his hand over his face, Anakin cursed himself for a fool. He just knew that that was gonna come back and bite him. And he did it anyway. After Seryanna had been Knighted, he had found himself with some free time. So he had showed the Fearsome Foursome a handful of sequences that combined the lightsaber and the Force. _"Padme told me that was a bad idea. Shoulda listened,"_ he told himself.

Putting on his Master's Face, he told them, "Children, now is not the time or place. Showing off in front of your Clan is not how a Jedi should behave. Understand?"

The four of them hung their heads, Anakin's displeasure with them coming across loud and clear through the Force. Almost as one they answered him, "Yes, Master Skywalker."

"Good. Now, the four of you go to the chest in the back and hand out the training sabers to your clanmates."

A few minutes later, when everyone in the room had their training lightsaber, Anakin began their training.

"Lesson one, this weapon is your life..."

_

In the High Council Chamber, Master Yoda led the Council in yet another meeting. It saddened him greatly to look around the room and realize just how many had been lost. Master Koon had never quite recovered from his injuries above Caamas. He had tried valiantly to resume his duties, but had been forced to resign from the Council a year after the battle. Even today, he was largely confined to his quarters or occasionally one of the meditation groves. Master Sinube had never returned from his mission to locate the Death Star. And his final message to them had proven to be a trap. A scout team made up of a dozen Jedi Knights had been ambushed as they approached the Maw. All but two had been killed. The two that managed to escape had both been badly injured. The fallen Jedi Knights Maw and Ameesa Darys had led the ambush. Maw had fallen in the fight, but not before he had killed three Jedi.

Master Nu had, once again, retired from the High Council. Her age was beginning to catch up to her. Master Secura's time on the Council had also come to an end, having been appointed to a short term on the body. In their places, Masters Roan Shryne, Rahm Kota, K'Kruhk and Kirak Infil'a now sat on the Council. So many lost. But so much had been gained as well. The Jedi had found their way in the Galaxy again. Unfortunately, for this meeting, the War took first place.

"We have to face facts. Tython can no longer support our operations," Master Kota said. "For all that Tython's remoteness has protected us, it's just _too remote_ to properly support a campaign against Sidious. With the Orbital Docks above Pammant, Dac and Chardaan producing Star Destroyers, Frigates and fighters for us, plus the captured _Imperial_ , _Venator_ and _Acclamator_ class ships we have, we need an actual base. Somewhere remote for safety, but not so remote we can't build up the infrastructure we need."

The hologram of Master Kenobi agreed. "I must agree with Master Kota. Tython is wonderful for hit and run tactics. But our fleet is too large to safely base in the deep core. We can't get the amount of supplies in that we need. Perhaps a planet like Dantoine would be suitable."

"Hmmmmm. Perhaps," said Master Yoda. "Begin a campaign to stop Sidious, we must. Meditate on this we shall." Turning slightly in his chair, Yoda looked at Shaak Ti. "An update on the Order as a whole, you have, Master Ti?"

"Yes," she said. "In the last five years, we've seen a slight increase in the overall size of the Jedi Order. Immediately after the Temple fell, our numbers were reduced to about three thousand. Today, our numbers stand at just over four thousand. However, that number is a bit of a lie. Of those four thousand, only about fifteen hundred are Knights or Masters. About a thousand are Padawans and Initiates with the remainder being members of the Service Corps. It's an improvement, but we're still weak. There is one interesting piece of information. Many of our youngest Initiates seem to be far stronger in the Force than what were used to seeing. Several, even at young ages are already demonstrating an affinity for abilities long believed lost or so rare as to be once in a millennia talents."

"Interesting. Examine this, we must. Perhaps, the Force's way to strengthen us, this is. Master K'Kruhk, ask you to investigate this, I do."

"Of course, Master. It would be by pleasure."

"Thank you, I do. Now, on to other matters."

_

Ahsoka Tano quietly cursed the Jedi High Council. _"Seriously,"_ she thought. _"Who's bright idea was it to send a Togruta on an undercover mission anyway? Her species wasn't exactly known for their ability to blend in."_ Her new Padawan, Jeswi Ele, was beside her as they lay hidden in the foliage on Felucia. This was Jeswi's first actual mission, having just turned thirteen a few months earlier. She was also Ahsoka's first Padawan. She'd been able to delay taking one for nearly a year beyond when she was supposed to take one, but Master Yoda _and Anakin_ cornered her one day and introduced her to Jeswi before casually dropping the fact that she was to be her new Padawan into the conversation. Now she knew how Anakin felt when she had just randomly showed up and announced that Master Yoda had decreed that she was to be his Padawan.

As that was going through her head, her eyes remained locked on the camouflaged building on the other side of the valley. The being they had been tracking for the last four and a half years was hiding in it. If she thought about it, it made a strange sort of sense. Felucia was known for its vibrant organic life and medical uses. But at the same time, the planet had been almost entirely decimated during the Clone Wars and still had a large Imperial Garrison stationed on the planet. Hiding under the Empire's nose was a brilliant move on her part. Of course, they really should have expected something like that. The woman was one of, if not the, foremost geneticists in the Galaxy. It was honestly kind of embarrassing that it had taken the Clones and the Jedi this long to figure out where she'd gone.

But all that was behind them now. Ahsoka and Jeswi had spent the last six months on Felucia, establishing their cover, asking the right questions, digging around (but not too deep, they didn't want to spook her). Two weeks ago, they finally confirmed it. They found her. The Nulls had showed up a week ago after her message had been received on Mandalore and now, they were all about to grab her and go home. All they had to do was wait until the Imperial Patrol below them passed out of the valley and they'd move in. The Nulls had been in position for three days now, making sure she couldn't escape. Once they saw Ahsoka move, they'd move also.

As the last of the Stormtroopers exited the valley, Ahsoka tapped the top of Jeswi's hand once and the two Jedi swiftly and smoothly rose up from their hiding places. With a burst of Force enhanced speed, they sped down the hill they had been on and across the valley. Their lightsabers in their hands, but unlit. With perfect timing, Ahsoka and Jeswi arrived at the (not so) hidden entrance to the hideout simultaneously with Ordo and A'den while the four remaining Nulls covered them and made sure no one could escape the building.

Without even a pause, Ahsoka blew the door open with the Force while A'den jammed the electronics on the, in his opinion, too sophisticated booby-traps and countermeasures. Taking the lead, Ordo advanced into the building, the two Jedi covering his back. In no time at all, they had found who they were looking for. With the two Jedi behind him, Ordo pulled off his _beskar_ helmet and gave the being an evil looking grin. He said, "Hello Ko Sai. Remember me?"

That was the last thing she would hear for quite some time as Ordo's gauntleted fist slammed into the side of her head. With one blow, knocking her unconscious instantly. Turning to Ahsoka he said, "Right, lets get this _shabuir_ doped up and onto the shuttle before the next patrol comes through here."

Nodding her agreement, Ahsoka quickly shot up the Kaminoan scientist with a powerful sedative that would keep her unconscious for at least the next few days. And just to be on the safe side, she also put stun cuffs on her wrists and ankles before telling Jeswi to go get the cargo pod they had stashed earlier so they could move her back to their ship.

Ordo meanwhile had commed Mereel and Jaing to get in there and copy all of the scientist's data and research before they blew the building sky high. In minutes, it was done. As the small strike team of Jedi and Nulls left Felucia to transport their prize to Tython, the small lab Ko Sai had set up blew itself apart.


	34. Chapter 34: Catching Up

Obi-wan Kenobi stood up stiffly from the holographic chair he used to remotely attend Council Meetings. The thing was murder on his back. He supposed having a few bruised ribs from that mission on Balmora last week might have had something to do with it as well. What was originally meant to be a straight diplomatic mission to build ties with the Balmorans had devolved into a medium sized infantry and spacefight when an ISB agent had recognized his Padawan. He really didn't think Zett was that well known, but apparently the Empire kept photos of all known Jedi in the Galaxy and this particular agent had an eidetic memory. And apparently an unrealistic idea of what a Jedi could do. Instead of trying to take them out quietly, he'd alerted the entire planetary garrison.

While Obi-wan hadn't wanted the fight, he had thrown himself into it. In that, he'd been lucky to have nearly an entire division of infantry with him aboard the _Enforcer_ and the two _Venator_ class ships that he had under his command. Unfortunately, the entire fight could, at best, be called a draw. They'd managed to hurt the Empire, and hijack two nearly completed _Imperial_ class Star Destroyers and a large number of AT-ST walkers. With the connivance of the Balmoran Authorities of course. But in the end, they'd been forced to flee the planet. An Imperial Navy fleet of five _Imperial_ Star Destroyers had shown up and deployed all their troops into the battle on the planet. And then moved to engage his own fleet. Worse, the Imperial divisions were led by Sidious's new Sith Warriors. Obi-wan had been forced to order a retreat and to abandon the world. But not before that blasted explosion which had thrown him thirty meters into the side of a shuttle. He was lucky to only have a few bruised ribs.

But that was the last mission. His mission now was to scout out a suitable planet to build a base on.Somewhere remote that the Empire would be unlikely to track them to. Or that at least would take them awhile. But at the same time, not so remote that it began to impact their fight against Palpatine. They had a few possibilities. Dantoine was currently at the top of his list. The planet was uninhabited, isolated, but not so far off the main hyperspace lanes that their operations would suffer. It's downside was that the planet had an ancient connection to the Jedi Order. There had even been a Jedi Temple on the planet at one point. It had only been closed a few centuries before, actually. That meant that Sidious would almost certainly suspect the planet.

His next option, and the one that they were currently orbiting over, was Yavin 4. It had basically all the advantages of Dantoine. But the planet was extremely dense and wet jungle. That would play havoc with their equipment. Plus there was a decaying Dark Side nexus centered on what looked like an ancient temple of some kind. He'd sent a message to Anakin asking him to research the planet and if there had ever been any Sith or Jedi connection to it. Thinking of Anakin caused Obi-wan to smile. Anakin's new position on the Council of First Knowledge gave him essentially unlimited access to all Jedi and Sith Holocrons in the Temple and complete access to all computer records of the Order. And Obi-wan fully intended to take advantage of that.

Next on his list was Hoth. That was one planet that he was definitely not looking forward to checking out. Somehow, someone had made the grievous error of classifying Hoth as capable of sustaining life. Obi-wan really didn't see how. The daytime temperatures never climbed above freezing and at night they plummeted to more than forty degrees below zero. And that extreme cold would also play merry hell on their equipment. In a totally new and exciting way compared to Yavin 4.

There were several other planets the Council wanted him to check out as well. Boz Pity, Ach-To, Endor and a few others were all on his list. If all went well, they should be done and back on Tython in a few months. With a new base set up and ready for operations.

_

On Imperial Center, Bail Organa had just finished a vote in the Senate Rotunda. The vote was largely meaningless. The Senate had no real power anymore. Rather, Palpatine told them what he wanted done, and then the Senate figured out how to do. No discussion over whether it should be done or not. It sickened him. But if he didn't go through the motions and at least act like a loyal citizen of the Empire, he would quickly find himself in his family's burial vault back on Alderaan. Several Senators had suffered that exact fate after daring to question Palpatine. So Bail had to keep up appearances.

Even more so today for two very good reasons. One, his security staff had found a spy in his household. A valet. The man had been serving him for six years. And had been exemplary at his work. Now, he was being told that the man was a plant and reported directly to Palpatine. His security forces had already "taken care" of the problem. The man was currently on a shuttle to a rendezvous with the Jedi. And after that, to Prism, the Jedi's prison. Apparently, the only record of it's location had been in the Temple, so the Empire still had no idea where it was. And the Jedi were still maintaining it. Though it was, for the obvious reasons, kept low key.

That alone was more than enough to set Bail on edge. But his second, and to him, more important reason for playing his role was that this was the first time Winter had attended a Senate meeting with him. For his little girl, he would bear any burden. Winter wanted to join the Legislative Youth Program when she was old enough and had begged and pleaded with Bail to let her come with him to an actual Senate Session. She'd been begging for at least the last four months. So three days ago, he'd finally relented and brought her to Imperial Center. He hated to do it, but if Winter was going to rule Alderaan one day, she would have to learn politics. He wished she would learn a little later but, the damage was done now.

As they were walking back to his office, one of Bail's contacts walked in the other direction and gave Bail a signal that he had information for him. Bail made an almost negligent gesture to acknowledge the message and kept walking. As Winter held his hand and walked beside him, he felt her slow slightly. This was usually a sign that she was either deep in thought or had gotten distracted by something. Glancing down to see which it was, he saw that her tiny face was scrunched up and she was biting a corner of her lip. Sighing quietly to himself, Bail wondered what strange question she was about to ask him this time. The last time he had seen that look she had asked him how a hyperdrive worked. There were times when Bail swore he couldn't tell if she was five or fifty.

Once they were back in his office Bail turned to his daughter and asked with a smile, "Ok, Winter. Out with it. What is it this time?"

"Nothing Father. Well, maybe," she said with her head tilted down and her eyes up, looking at her father. "I was just wondering why that man in the corridor made that funny gesture to you. And why you just kind of waved it off."

Bail felt the blood drain from his face. _"How in the name of the Force had Winter picked up on something that even trained ISB agents missed?"_ For about the millionth time, Bail thanked every deity he had ever heard of that he had installed the best antibugging software credits could buy in his office. _"Maybe she's referring to something else,"_ Bail desperately thought. _"A lot of people had stopped him and said hello on their way back to their respective offices."_

"Winter, baby, what gesture are you talking about?" Bail was shocked that he was able to get that out without his voice shaking. While he'd gotten a lot better at covert operations the last few years, he knew he wasn't a natural in them.

"This one," she said as she demonstrated. "Where the man tapped his finger against the pocket of his pants, like he would if he was checking to see if his communicator was still there. But his communicator was in his jacket, I could see it's outline."

Bail just slumped into the sofa in his office and ran his hands over his face. His daughter was entirely to perceptive for her own good. Not one being in a thousand would have noticed that. Maybe the top one percent of ISB agents. But _his daughter_ had noticed. This was not something he could explain to her while they were on Imperial Center. Not when the Emperor was on the planet, not when he always had a contingent of Sith Warriors patrolling the Senate Rotunda. The problem was, Winter was persistent and didn't take well to stalling tactics. She'd keep worrying at something until she figured it out. He felt the couch shift a little as she climbed up next to him and looked at him, waiting patiently for the answer.

Letting out a sigh, Bail looked at his daughter and told her, "Winter, I promise I will tell you. But I can't do it here. And I can't do it now. It's something I need to discuss with your mother before we tell you. Ok?"

Judging by the look on her face, Bail figured that answer wasn't going over too well with her. He both loved and hated how inquisitive and perceptive she was. "Baby, that's the best I can do right now. If I tell you now, it could be very dangerous for you, for your mother and for me. This is a secret. A big secret. So you can't tell anyone. But if you promise never to tell, I promise to tell you when we get home. Deal?"

Giving her father a five year old's impression of a glare, Winter said, "Deal. But as soon as we get home."

"Of course, Princess Organa." Bail was not looking forward to this.

_

On Tython, Padme sat meditating. Her pregnancy had been making her emotional. Alright, she admitted to herself, it was making her downright nasty to people. Luke and Leia had never done this to her, so she was surprised that this one was. Fortunately, the meditation techniques that Master Yoda had taught her were a tremendous help. So was being out of the ceremonial robes that she had to wear as Supreme Chancellor. At home, she had taken to dressing similarly to the Jedi. At first it was a simple expedient. She had needed new clothes after they had evacuated from Coruscant and the only thing available had been spare Jedi Robes. Now, she found that she simply preferred them. They were surprisingly comfortable and allowed her nearly unrestricted freedom of movement.

Meditating with the Force had also helped her release her emotions into the Force and had managed to let her remain calm, usually, despite all the problems that had been piling up on her plate. Every time she cleared one, it seemed five more appeared. And of course, they all required her urgent attention. After two weeks of pushing herself too hard and practically collapsing from the strain, Anakin had forced her to take a week off and spend it on bed rest. Anytime she had even so much as thought about getting up, Anakin had commed her and told her to drop the thought right then and there. Apparently she still needed to work on her mental shields as well as rest.

It was after that episode that Anakin had begun giving her some covert training in the Force. He had showed her how the Jedi would use the Force to refresh themselves and keep themselves going for far longer than would normally be possible. He'd also taught her the basics of telekinesis. She wasn't very good at it, but if she concentrated hard enough she could usually call small simple things to her hand. It helped when Luke or Leia needed or wanted something she couldn't normally reach or when her growing stomach had made bending over a flat impossibility.

Just then her communicator went off. Drawing herself out of her meditation she glanced at it and saw it was it was from Bail. Whatever it was, it must be urgent for him to contact her directly like this. It was. Ten minutes after his call, Padme was hurrying to her small office in the Jedi Temple. Master Yoda would meet her there. She needed some advice from the wise old Jedi. Within fifteen minutes of that, two Jedi had been dispatched to Alderaan.

On Mandalore, Kal Skirata was beaming. Ordo had sent him a message two hours ago, they had finally found the aiwha bait, Ko Sai. His boys would finally have the life they should have. Over the last few years they'd managed to slow the process a bit by going to every geneticist they could find. But it involved his boys, and all the other Clones, taking a pill three times a week. And missing a dose would cause some serious pain. Once they had a permanent cure ready, they would all have to be slowly weaned off the medication over a period of two months. But then his boys would get their lives back. Their full lives. He had to hand it to the Jedi. They had help up their end of the bargain. And even made sure to involve Ordo and his team in the take down.

He'd be leaving for Tython in a few hours himself just so he could look her in the eye and ask why. Not that he expected an answer, but he had to ask. Darman and Etain were just packing up their last few things and getting Venku ready to go. They had only been back on Mandalore for a couple of weeks for some down time and now they were already heading back. He had to chuckle at his grandson though. Venku was a sight to behold. He was dressed partly in Jedi Robes, and partly in Mandalorian Armor. Apparently, he wanted to honor both his warrior bloodlines. Kal was personally looking forward to this trip. He had never actually been to the Jedi home world before. Somehow he doubted that it would hold a candle to Mandalore.


	35. Chapter 35: A New Beginning

Walex Blissex stood in the observation gallery overlooking the orbital shipyards above Dac. Beside him stood Jedi Master Shaak Ti. And below them, was his latest creation. The first of a new class of Star Destroyer. It was being christened _Vigilance_. And would hopefully be the first of many. The orbital docks above Pammant were also constructing the new ships and the Republic and the Jedi hoped to have them in service quickly.

Walex was immensely proud of this new design, despite his aversion to building warships. The new _Vigilance_ class were just over twelve hundred meters long, had enough space to embark over six thousand troops, stored consumables for two years, carried an entire wing of starfighters and had enough weaponry to go toe-to-toe with an ISD, and come out on top. Yet she required only half the crew.

Walex was also working on a new starfighter design. The design was heavily inspired by the R-22 Spearhead. The pilots who had seen his new design had immediately begun calling it an A-Wing for it's distinctive shape. He'd actually been working with Anakin Skywalker on the design. Not so much on the particulars of the design, but in what a starfighter pilot would consider the ideal qualities to have in a Starfighter. So far, they'd come up with the starfighter having an internal hyperdrive, a socket for an astromech, decent shields and armor, high speed, extreme maneuverability and powerful weapons. The prototype was nearly ready. Master Skywalker would be taking it for a test flight sometime in the next week or two. Walex was supremely confident that the Jedi Master would be more than satisfied with it.

_

At the edge of the landing pad on Tython, Anakin Skywalker stood with his arms folded in front of him, his hands tucked into the opposite sleeves of his Robe, the perfect picture of a Jedi Master. He was waiting for the shuttle from Corellia to arrive. It was bringing fifty new recruits to the Republic Naval Academy that had been established here on Tython. Anakin liked to meet the recruits personally. As a Senior Jedi General and Battlemaster of the Jedi Order, he was in overall command of the military forces at their disposal and felt it was his duty to greet each new officer cadet as they arrived.

As the new cadets walked off the shuttle, some in civilian clothes and some in CorSec uniform, Anakin began his welcome speech. By now, he had it down pat. He still wasn't a fan of public speaking, but he could at least do it without completely freezing up. About halfway through his little speech, he noticed two figures slip down the shuttle ramp and creep away from the platform, doing their best to stay hidden and in the shadows. Anakin immediately went to high alert. Internally. On the outside, you would never know. He had gotten much better at not always wearing his emotions on his sleeve.

Quickly using the Force to track them and feel for their intentions, all Anakin could feel from them was an immense sense of relief, joy and some mild confusion. Deciding that you could never be too careful, Anakin discreetly pressed the alert button his comlink. The Temple defenses would be subtly increased with the Temple Guards and the Guardians of the Whills quietly moving to defensive positions just in case. Anakin didn't feel that the two beings he had seen were a direct threat, but there was always the possibility that they could be ISB agents sent to try and locate the Jedi's hidden base. Better to be prepared. That lesson had been drilled into every surviving Jedi after the Assault on the Temple.

As Anakin finished his welcome speech and turned over the new cadets to their training officers he walked in the general direction that the two apparent stowaways had gone. Never directly towards them, but not very far off either. Fortunately they had gone in the same direction as one of the meditation groves, so Anakin decided to make his way towards that while keeping track of the two with the Force. Doing this made Anakin shake his head. He still couldn't believe that no one had ever noticed that Palpatine wasn't who he said he was before. Force, the Jedi really had been blind. He could still feel his anger at that even now, years after the fact. He supposed that the anger was probably something he was always going to have to deal with. At least now he knew the signs to watch out for. And he had gotten better at not drawing on it during a battle as well. It still happened occasionally, old habits were hard to break after all, but it was rare and he could almost always stop himself once he realized what he was doing. _"It really wouldn't do to have a member of the Council devoted to rooting out the Dark Side fall to it now, would it?"_ he thought to himself. That actually put a small smile on his lips. Good to see his dark sense of humor was still around anyway.

As Anakin made his way toward the ancient Meditation Grove, he began to groan. _Of course_ the two stowaways had gone toward Master Yoda's favorite grove. And _of course_ Master Yoda was there. So much for doing this quietly. Even though Anakin had gotten much better at meditation over the last few years, he still wasn't exactly a frequent visitor to the various groves scattered around the Temple, something Master Yoda seemed to delight in reminding him of every time he saw him in one.

"Young Skywalker," Master Yoda greeted him. "Decided finally to meditate, have you?"

"Master Yoda," Anakin said with a polite nod. Gesturing to the seat next to Yoda Anakin asked, "May I?"

"Own this bench I do not. Where you like you may sit."

Sitting next to Yoda, Anakin looked at the aged Jedi Master and said, "Master, I have to ask. What are you ever going to call my son and daughter? We can't all be 'Young Skywalker.' And well, we'll all be young to you no matter how old we get."

Grinning at Anakin with a twinkle in his eyes Yoda replied, "Why? Call you all what I like I will. Certain I am that figure it out you can who I am talking too."

Shaking his head, but laughing just the same Anakin admitted defeat and simply said, "Yes, Master."

"Why come to the meditation groves have you? Not to meditate, surely?"

Lowering his voice Anakin said, "No, Master. There were two stowaways on the shuttle from Corellia. They headed in this direction and I'm trying to keep track of them. It would be a disaster if they turned out to be from the Empire."

Laughing, Yoda responded, "Your stowaways, from the Empire they are not. Sensed this much I have. Behind those trees you will find them. Confused, scared and happy they are. The extra defenses that alerted you did, needed they are not."

"I didn't think they would be, Master. But after the Temple..."

"Understand I do. Now, interrupted my meditation for long enough you have. Business you have to attend to Young Skywalker."

"Yes, Master. May the Force be with you."

"And with you, Master Skywalker."

As Anakin stood, he felt the two stowaways attention briefly focus on him, but knowing they'd be watching him, Anakin continued walking along the path towards the fountains in the center of the grove. Whenever he did meditate, the fountains were his favorite spot. The flowing waters calmed his mind and helped to relax him. Having grown up on Tatooine, he appreciated just how special water could be.

Reaching the fountains, and still sensing the stowaways back by Master Yoda, Anakin slipped off the pathway and into the trees. Using the Force to cushion his feet and reduce his already minimal amount of noise, he quickly moved through the grove. Coming up behind the two stowaways, he saw that they were a human man and woman. Neither looked to be more than seventeen or eighteen years old. And from the looks of things, they were pretty underweight. More than they should have been, even assuming that they hadn't eaten during the several day flight from Corellia.

As the two whispered back and forth, they kept an eye on the trail. Their conversation seemed to be, "what do we do now?" Apparently, they had thought that the shuttle would be going to a slightly more developed world where they could get a ship, buy or steal apparently, Anakin couldn't quite catch that part, and disappear among the stars. That last part Anakin could completely empathize with. He and Padme had talked about doing just that many, many times in the past. Actually, they still did. Especially when the weight of their offices was weighing especially heavily upon them.

Deciding that the two were no threat to the Jedi or the Republic, Anakin tapped the alert button on his comlink twice, sending the "All Clear" code to the Temple. Slipping up behind the two Anakin decided to borrow a line from Obi-wan.

"Hello there."

The two teenagers stiffened and swung around immediately. The male immediately went into a defensive posture and moved in front of his female companion. _"The kid had good reflexes. Almost as quick as a Jedi's."_ Anakin thought.

"You two appear to be lost. Anything I can do to help you find your way?"

Eyeing him warily, the two didn't seem to know what exactly to make of Anakin. The young man eventually said, "No, were fine. Just out enjoying the scenery."

 _"This one was smooth"_ Anakin told himself. _"Quick reflexes, quick mind and a quick mouth. Force, it was like looking at himself minus the Force."_

"Uh-huh. You know it never pays to lie to a Jedi, right?" _"If only that were true,"_ Anakin told himself. _"Palpatine had managed it for decades."_

Hearing him identify himself as a Jedi caused the two to relax slightly. _"On the run from the Empire, maybe?"_ Anakin wondered.

"Well, it never hurts to try," said the boy. "They say a sucker is born every minute."

Laughing, Anakin said, "That may be so. But I think you'll find that you'll have rather less success trying that approach here."

"Speaking of 'here,' where exactly are we?" asked the girl.

"Where are my manners? Let me introduce myself. My name is Anakin Skywalker. Let me be the first to welcome you to Tython."

" _The_ Anakin Skywalker? The Hero With No Fear? The only human to ever win the Boonta Eve Classic Pod Race? _That_ Anakin Skywalker?" asked the boy.

"Yesssss," said Anakin, giving the boy an odd look. "How did you even know about that Pod Race? That was almost twenty years ago. You couldn't have been more than a year old then."

"Don't get him started," said the girl. "Anything to do with any sort of flying, he's obsessed with. And hearing about the only human to ever win, let alone compete, in pod racing, well, he devoured anything he could get his hands on."

"Actually, I wasn't even born yet," said the boy.

Shaking his head, Anakin asked them, "So, I've told you who I am. Who are you? You're obviously not with the other cadets that were on the shuttle."

"I'm Han."

"And I'm Qi'ra"

"Well Han and Qi'ra, why don't we get you up to the barracks and see about getting a meal into you and you can tell me all about why you wanted to get away from Corellia so desperately that you stowed away on a shuttle."


	36. Chapter 36: Planning for the Future

Anakin was amazed at the tale that Han and Qi'ra had told him. He had always known that crime syndicates and slavery went hand in hand and had a presence in the Galaxy. His own lifewas proof of that. But even still, he had been shocked at how easily and relatively openly this Lady Proxima had been able to operate. It seems it was fairly well known on Corellia. At least in the less savory parts of the planet.

Anakin was far from an idealist anymore. Eight years of war had driven that from him. He still missed the old him sometimes, when everything was black and white and he believed that if only the people in charge had enough power, they could fix everything that was wrong with the Galaxy and make things better for everyone. Now he knew that those thoughts led to only one place, the Dark Side and the Emperor. But despite all that, Anakin had grown convinced that the Jedi would have to do something about Lady Proxima and the Black Sun syndicate. In fact, Anakin had requested an audience before the High Council to discuss just that. And he fully intended to bring Han and Qi'ra with him when the Council granted the request.

_

Han and Qi'ra were safely bedded down for the night in the Barracks. There was a guard outside their door, and the Jedi they had spoken to earlier had emphasized that, while he believed them, the Jedi had learned the hard way not to take what they were told on blind faith, but to verify it. They weren't confined to their quarters, but the clone guard had very clearly explained th them that they were only allowed in the dining room, the refresher, the exercise room and the yard until they were checked out. Which could take awhile. Neither of them knew what their last names were. But the Jedi had taken holos of them along with DNA and fingerprint data to send back to CorSec to make sure they weren't wanted. Or members of the ISB or Imperial Army. Once that came back, they were free to do what they wanted.

"What they wanted" was also exactly what they were discussing at that very moment as they lay in bed together.

"Look on the bright side," said Qi'ra. "At least we didn't end up getting sold to Black Sun or to the Hutts. And here at least, we'll have protection."

"Yeah," Han half grunted, half laughed. "Protection. We're so protected there's a blaster wielding Stormtrooper standing right outside our door."

"Han!" Said Qi'ra as she punched his shoulder. "You and I both know that he isn't a Stormtrooper."

"Ok, fine. He's still a Clone soldier. With a blaster rifle. It doesn't really change my point much though. We're still in captivity. Well, sort of."

As Qi'ra shook her head she said, "That's just your ego talking. You know, I'm surprised we were able to get that speeder through that narrow gap as big as your head can get." Qi'ra's word's were softened by the smile she wore and the lighthearted tone in her voice.

"Hey! It worked, didn't it? Besides, I read about Master Skywalker doing it when he used to Pod Race."

"Haaaan. That was in a Pod. With the Force to help him. Not a speeder. What would have happened if we hadn't made it through? We probably both would have been caught. At best they would have killed us. Just promise me you won't pull too many more stunts like that? I don't want to see the Galaxy without you."

Smiling at Qi'ra, Han told her, "I promise. Not too many more. Now, what do we do going forward? We don't have many credits and I doubt there's a ship for sale anywhere around here."

Looking uncertain Qi'ra responded, "I'm not sure. We always talked about this day, but deep down, I don't think either of us really expected it to happen. I guess we could always ask to be transported somewhere else. But that puts us back at risk of getting sold to slavers."

"Well, what about if we stayed here? I overheard some people talking in the dining room that they were looking for pilots. I could learn a lot here. Maybe even fly a starfighter."

"And what about me?"

"I heard that they were looking for secretaries too. Ooophhhh!"

Qi'ra smacked her arm across Han's stomach with that remark and exclaimed, "A secretary! You better be grateful I love you fly boy or you'd be getting a lot more than just that. What if I don't want to be one? What if I decide to, oh I don't know, join the Special Forces?!"

Pulling Qi'ra into his arms Han told her, "Qi'ra, you can do whatever you want. You're easily the most talented person I know and the smartest." Giving her a kiss, Han continued, "So we're decided? We stay here and learn? Prepare ourselves for our futures?"

Nodding her head Qi'ra said, "Yes. I think that's for the best for us. And who knows, maybe you'll even get to spend more time with your hero!"

Laughing, Han pulled Qi'ra close and nuzzled her neck, telling her how much he loved her before they both drifted off to sleep. They had a big day tomorrow.

_

"Take good care of her Captain. She's the finest hunk of junk in the Galaxy," said Captain Tel Daggoth. Today was a bittersweet day for him. He had finally gotten to command a Star Destroyer, the _Resolve_ , four years ago. But today, he was relinquishing command. He'd been selected for promotion to Commodore and would be taking command of a small squadron of frigates. The man to his left, however...

"I will Captain, you have my word," replied Captain Gilad Pallaeon with all the quiet enthusiasm of a new father. He was relieving Captain Daggoth and taking command. The _Resolve_ may be one of the older ships in the fleet, but she had a proud history behind her. Serving first in the Clone Wars and now for the last four years, fighting the Empire. She'd fought in numerous engagements and had even managed to utterly wreck a _Victory_ class star destroyer the year before over Dac. He couldn't have been prouder if the Chancellor had been pinning the Medal of Bravery on his chest.

"I know you will Gilad. I wouldn't have agreed to the promotion if I didn't trust whoever they were going to have relieve me. When I heard it was you, I knew she'd be in good hands."

"Thank you, Tel. That means a lot to me. I won't let you or her down. She may be getting up there, but I wouldn't trade her for anything."

_

As Captain Pallaeon sat in his cabin later that night, going over reports and the million other items that required a captain's constant attention, he thought about the series of events that led him here. If you had told him five years ago that he'd willingly betray the Empire, turn his back on his oaths of loyalty to the legitimate government of the Galaxy, he would have laughed. Then had whoever told him that arrested for treason. But that had been before Caamas. Before that witch Aella. Thoughts of her and what she did to his Admiral still made him shudder. That had been the turning point. He couldn't stand by and knowingly commit atrocities. When General Skywalker had offered another path, he had jumped at the chance. Even if Captain Medina hadn't been willing to change sides, he certainly was. The Jedi were far from perfect, but they were thousands of times better than the alternative.

And now, he had been recognized as a rising star. Of course it helped that the fleet was barely a hundredth of the size of the Imperial Navy. But still, his tactical and strategic thinking had been noticed. First by Admiral Sykes, who had him transferred to his own personal staff. After that, he was sent to attend the first class of the newly formed Republic Navy Staff College. After graduating at the top of the class, granted it was a small class of only twenty students the top was still the top, he had been promoted to Captain and given this ship. He couldn't wait to get started.


	37. Chapter 37: Training Say

Seryanna suppressed the urge the curse as she barrel rolled her Headhunter, barely dodging the incoming blaster fire from the four TIEs on her tail. She should have known better than to chase that shuttle down here. But intel had said that there was a high value target on it and he, or she, needed to be extracted. Of course, the minute the shuttle dove for the surface of Vjun, she should have realized that it was a trap. But she hadn't and now she had to live with the consequences. Breaking into a Split S to try and gain some distance from the pursuing TIEs, she dove for the surface, determined to use the terrain to her advantage.

Streaking down among the rocks, she let the Force guide her movements. Skimming past rock outcrops with only centimeters to spare, she saw a flash in her mirror as one of the TIEs misjudged and slammed into the rock wall of the canyon they were in, the explosion from the dead TIE catching a second one in the blast and sending it careening into the opposite wall. Two down, two more to go.

Flipping her Headhunter onto it's side, she hit her repulsors for less than a second, the pulse of energy flinging her away from the sheer rock wall. As she shot horizontally, she killed her engines, yanked back on the stick and flipped her fighter around, facing back the way she came. As first one, then the second TIE drifted across her sights, she caressed the trigger gently and felt her fighter shudder as her blaster cannon spat fire at the Imperial ships. With a satisfied grin, both shots flew true and the two TIEs simply ceased to exist.

Continuing to pull back on the stick, her Z-95 continued it's spin. Just as the fighter started to point back down the canyon, and only a split second before she would impact the canyon walls, she punched her sublight engines back on and slammed the throttle to full power. With a roar from her engines and a sharp shove back into her seat that the inertial dampeners couldn't entirely cancel out, she rocketed back down the narrow seam that split the land asunder.

SIMULATION TERMINATED* suddenly flashed on the screen before her. Not bothering to silence the curse this time, she hit the canopy release switch and began to unbuckle herself from the simulator.

As the canopy of the simulator popped open, she was surprised to see Anakin standing there, waiting for her. She hadn't seen her Master since shortly after her Knighting ceremony.

"Well done Seryanna. Not many people can handle a Headhunter like that," Master Skywalker told her.

"Thank you, Master," she replied. " _But?_ "

Giving her a lopsided grin, Anakin said, " _But_ , you should have known it was a trap as soon as the shuttle dove for the planet. That class of shuttle is hyperdrive capable. Any pilot with even half a brain knows that a _Theta_ -class shuttle can't outrun a fighter. Even a relatively slow one like the Headhunter."

"I know Master. I realized that. About thirty seconds too late, but I did. So I decided to just make the best of it. Like you trained me to."

Laughing out loud, Anakin told her, "Ok, you got me there. I did tend to encourage a certain amount of risk taking in your training. At any rate, I'm not down here to criticize today. I need a favor."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm about to be roped into something?"

"Because you're about to be roped into something," Anakin told her as he laughed.

"What is it?"

"You heard about the two stowaways that came in on the shuttle from Corellia?"

"I think everyone has heard that Master. The Corellians really need to step up their security. That could have been bad."

"They do and they are, but that's beside the point. Han and Qi'ra told me some things the other night that practically made my blood boil. To cut a long story short, they were basically slaves."

As Seryanna opened her mouth to reply, Anakin held up his hand telling his former apprentice to wait a moment before he continued, "You know my history Seryanna. Slavery is, well it's a big deal to me. And it should be a big deal to all of us. We're having a Joint Council Session in thirty minutes. After that, can you escort the two of them to the Council Chamber? The High Council wants to hear their story."

"Of course. Where are they and what time do they have to be there, Master?"

"The last report from their guard said they were in the fitness center in the barracks. And in about two hours. Thank you for this Ser." Turning to walk away, Anakin threw one last comment over his shoulder, "Oh, ummm, by the way, don't tell Han that you used to be my Padawan. He, uh, he might have a bit of a hero worship complex."

Shaking her head, Jedi Knight Seryanna Ky grabbed her cloak and made her way to the barracks to introduce herself to her two temporary charges. Grinning to herself, she _definitely_ planned to tell Han that she had been Anakin's Padawan. The opportunity to spill some of her old Master's more embarrassing moments was just going to be too good to pass up. Now, how did that story about the Gundark nest go again?

_

Anakin had to silence a sigh. These Joint Council Sessions, where the High Council, the Council of First Knowledge, the Council of Reconciliation and the Council of Reassignment all met together once a month, were probably the most boring thing he had ever or would ever do as a Jedi. While it was certainly interesting to get a glimpse at the inner workings of the various other Councils, and perhaps be able to assist them in some problem or other, for the most part, these sessions were nothing but dry reports. Honestly, it was something that could easily be handled with a single typed message. But Master Yoda insisted, saying it was an excellent way to make sure that all the most senior Jedi Masters in the Order had a good relationship. And it ensured that no one missed something vital that could affect the survival of the entire order. That argument carried a lot of weight. Plus there was the fact that Obi-wan, as the new Master of the Order, agreed with Yoda. So now Anakin had to endure these interminable meetings. He half thought Obi-wan only supported it just because it would force him to actually sit still for several hours.

Anakin had already given his report to the combined Councils. The research Master Kenobi had asked him to do was finished. In his opinion, Yavin IV would be a terrible location to build a base at. A fallen Jedi turned Sith Lord named Exar Kun had used the world as his home and base of operations. By all accounts, the man had been an exceptionally powerful Force User, from what Anakin had seen Kun was probably a match for Palpatine. When he had finally been defeated, he had used all of his considerable power to release his spirit from his body and formed a Dark Side nexus in the Temples on the planet, one in particular, though all were infected to some extent. An unwary Jedi could easily fall prey to the ancient Sith's dark energies.

Interestingly, the Jedi had a relic of his in their position, his lightsaber. That was locked away in a vault that even the First Knowledge Councilors could not access. Master Yoda had eventually agreed to enter the vault with Anakin and show him the ancient weapon. It was encased in a resin of some sort and felt strangely dead in the Force. Yoda explained that millennia ago, a group of Jedi had sought to utterly stamp out any and every trace of the Dark Side in the Galaxy. And in their quest, they had eventually created this resin with which to encase Sith and Dark Side artifacts that were too dangerous to handle unprotected, but also too powerful to destroy. Exar Kun's lightsaber was one such object. It was so powerfully imbued with the Dark Side that any who so much as held it felt the call to the Dark Side. The resin neutralized the force energies. For someone who had made a name for himself as a lightsaber duelist, it was unsettling to be disturbed by a lightsaber. But Anakin was forced to admit that that weapon scared him.

After he had given his report, Obi-wan's hologram had looked at Anakin with a faint look of horror on it and asked him a few questions.

"Anakin, please tell me that you were able to find which temple in particular was the focus for this Dark Side energy?"

"One of the first things listed. It's the largest ziggurat on the Eastern Continent. In an region called Ersham Ridge."

"Do any of the records mention anything about how _not_ to awaken a Sith Lord's spirit?"

Chuckling slightly, Anakin replied, "Unfortunately no. Though if he's true to most Sith, he'll only respect power. So I would try and avoid any powerful displays with the Force. Why? Is that where you decided to quarter everyone?"

The look on Obi-wan's face was answer enough. After that exchange, Anakin had pretty much zoned out. He had long ago mastered how to listen just enough so that he wouldn't miss anything important, but still let his mind wander to get him through seemingly endless meetings. Discreetly checking his chrono, he bit his tongue to keep from groaning out loud. Only another hour to go.

_

Qi'ra was getting a little uncomfortable. The chairs in the lounge for those waiting for a summons before the Jedi Council weren't, well, they weren't _un_ comfortable but they weren't exactly comfortable either. Which almost made waiting in them worse. On the one hand she couldn't really relax in it and on the other she couldn't use the chair as an excuse to pace either. She thought she had seen a couple of almost pitying glances from the Jedi Knight that had escorted them from the barracks that had been their home for the last week, but she wasn't sure. The Jedi were _good_ at hiding their emotions. Only someone who had been trained, or forced by circumstances to learn, to hide their emotions would likely pick up the subtle clues that the Jedi weren't the emotionless droids Imperial Propaganda said they were.

This Jedi though was a little different. On the way here she had been open and gregarious with them. And seemed almost to delight in telling Han stories about Master Skywalker. All of which set all three of them off laughing and most of which were slightly embarrassing for the Jedi Master. Han had already said that he _had_ to learn more about the Gundark story. It was only when they arrived at the actual Jedi Temple that the Jedi had told them to reign it in a little and she put on what she called, "her Jedi face." She had explained that, though the Order was changing, it was changing slowly and many still felt that a proper Jedi must be solemn and dutiful at all times. So as not to make waves until everyone was more comfortable with the changes, most Jedi elected to restrain themselves, at least when within the Temple. That and some of the more traditional members did have a point: The Jedi Temple was a sacred place. It should be treated as such and given the proper respect it deserved.

Just as she was about to adjust herself on this Azkanc-cursed chair, the Jedi's comlink beeped. After listening for a few seconds the Jedi simply replied, "Yes, Master."

Turning towards her now, Seryanna Ky told both her and Han, "The High Council will see you now."


End file.
